was a photograph

Abstract

In was a photograph, displacement, myth, constricted spaces, and authority are explored through the poetics of an imaginary world. In a dream-like scenario, the sonic elements blur in and out of focus as the visual imagery shifts from abstract hallucinations to absurd realism. Until the last section, the natural sound of the guitar strings is immediately dampened by touching a contact mic on the vibrating string. This act of suppression is performed using various techniques, such as hammer-on, buzzing, and tapping, where the original sound is transformed into an amplified and noisy musical gesture. The pitch material is constricted to an E minor triad and notes that are an interval of a minor or major second away from it. The foregrounded performance techniques distort, bend, and obscure the pitches while never presenting them in a manner that is idiomatic to the instrument. In was a photograph, disruptions, and dream-like transitions affect the form of the piece, reflecting on the lived experience of individuals displaced due to inequitable political and social systems.