Navigating Sample-Based Music: Immediacy and Musical Control in Recent Electronic Works

This article outlines some of the technical processes used to exert musical control over sampled material in my recent compositional work. The pieces in question make use of custom software that facilitates a more musically meaningful interaction with computing technology. As well as addressing issues of appropriate musical representation, these processes also afford the composer a greater degree of immediacy than when working solely within the familiar context of the Digital Audio Workstation.

The article first addresses the context within which the work has taken place, as well as the issues that motivated the development of new technical tools. Techniques of sample selection using audio descriptor matching and systems of gestural representation are then discussed, along with less novel methods of musical control. Finally, the compositional implications of the various proposed approaches are explored.