Amiss by Michael Wall

The title track, "Amiss," was the result of a wonderful creative process with Madison Olandt and Derion Loman. I enjoy working with these two amazing artists because of how deeply we delve into the process to find incredible moments of creativity. Most of the percussion was sampled directly from the performers in the space. In addition to the driving rhythm, there are sounds from a modular synth, Buchla soft-synth, and many different harmonic rhythm generators. "Step by Step" was also created through this process. The track is a collection of layers made from the same pizzicato string sound, each processed with different delay and granular effects.

"4 162" is a rhythmic track made with marimbas staggered and played like a balafon. This was the ending section of a score for Kathy Dunn Hamrick, so it has many unfolding layers of strings, trumpets, guitars, and percussion. We talked a lot about Wes Anderson and the mood of his films, especially "Moonrise Kingdom". In "Long Walk," I aimed to incorporate similar stylized sounds such as clarinet, pump organ, samples of outdoor dog walks, and piano. If I were setting off on an adventure across that island, I imagine this track would be the perfect accompaniment for a sunrise or sunset walk.

In 2022, I was asked to submit a video performance for the online portion of the Phoenix Synthesizer Festival. Since I was able to produce the performance from my studio, I could use all of my instruments in one giant setup. The piece begins with "Portal", a piano solo fed through the amazing granular effect by Output with the same name. I love combining acoustic instruments with Ableton Live and my modular synth, as I did with "Look Out". Although not in the recording, the piano originally transitioned with a crossfade into the modular synth. I combined clips of my voice, percussion sounds, strings, and a bowed piano melody soaring over the top. The last track, "The Madness", is a trumpet solo processed through the Portal effect, played over a prerecorded piano improvisation.

During a collaborative process with choreographer Leah O’Donnell, the tracks “Lilies in the Lake” and “Shore Walk” were created. Cellist (and amazing dancer) Lily Gelfand was hired to create a collection of samples, which were mixed and processed throughout the score. Both tracks use multiple layers of Lily's samples as well as piano. The screendance that these tracks were composed for had many compelling scenes featuring characters interacting with bodies of water, such as lakes and the ocean.

I recently obtained the "Noire" instrument, created by Spitfire Audio in collaboration with the talented Nils Frahm. I selected the first preset and began playing what would become the track “Shift” almost immediately. After making some minor adjustments to the particles and reverb, I hit record and captured this track in one take. I am continually inspired by the new variations on instruments made by composers and musicians.

Michael Wall has established a reputation as one of the most innovative and impactful composers in the world of contemporary music and dance. He currently writes over 200 new commissions each year for leading dance organizations and sync projects including Flockworks, Pilobolus, Charles Anderson, Seattle Dance Collective, and the Grammy-nominated album "Spirit Song" by his mentor Kenny Barron.

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