“The first time I worked with space was when I did a piece for a wave field synthesis,” says electronic composer Jessica Ekomane, speaking to The Wire Deputy Editor Emily Bick in issue 434, “and then I realised that I could include space as a third element in the composition. Or fourth. I mean, not only rhythm, not only tone or time development, but also space, and I’m interested in creating situations or things that are static, and what is changing is the relationships between elements.”

In the same interview, Ekomane explains how her previous work with sound installations informed the way she now makes music for both live and recorded scenarios, while exploring the use of a quadrophonic set-up. This excerpt is a live version of a piece from her 2019 album Multivocal (Important).

Ekomane explained the differences between the two versions via email: “While on Multivocal you can hear the whole process of the different impulses phasing and coming back together bluntly unfolding, I decided to expand the technical framework behind the album by using it as a 'constantly-shifting-rhythms generator'. Which means my focus is on the sound itself and the development of the piece, and I could for example decide where each note is assigned or when it appears and disappears. The result here with “Solid Of Revolution” is a newly arranged composition that rather emphasises its build up and dramatic potential.”

Read the full interview with Jessica Ekomane in The Wire 434. Subscribers can access it via the online archive.