This composition is a musical tribute to the Swiss composer and sculptor Oscar Wiggli (1927–2016). A multifaceted artist, Oscar explored a wide range of creative expressions, from electronic music composition and Chinese ink drawing to forging iron sculptures. His spirit of diversity and experimentation left a lasting impression on me from our very first meeting. All sounds in this piece were crafted from recordings I made using sound objects and instruments from his collection, as well as by 'playing' some of his forged sculptures.
During a previous visit in 2006, I had the opportunity to record sounds on an instrument Oscar called the "monochord," which, despite its name, had 13 double strings. On this occasion, he introduced me to a second model with 13 single strings. By placing various objects onto the strings and playing them, I discovered a vast range of sonic possibilities. I spent nearly two days exploring and recording these sounds.
As my experiments progressed, I placed one monochord on the strings of the other, creating a coupled resonating body. From there, the installations became increasingly unconventional, producing ever more intricate and complex sounds.
monochord is crafted exclusively from those recording, with only minimal processing. The entire piece unfolds through layered sequences played on the monochords.
While shaping the piece, I drew inspiration from Oscar Wiggli’s sculptures, imagining how these sounds might "converse" with his fluid, organic, proud, and solid forms.