Ecosistemas II from ALEA by Manuel Rocha Iturbide

For Flute, Flute in G, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet and electronic sounds

This work is originally an electroacoustic composition for 6 channels commissioned by the IMEB institute in Bourges in November 2008, and finished in May 2009. All the material of the piece was generated at the IMEB studios using digital and analog gear, and then it was mainly mixed in my personal studio in Mexico City.
The main idea of this work was to create a sonic metaphor of acoustic ecosystems, having different species from different geographies and climates. I wanted to generate a diversity of sounds that interrelate to each other, to make transitions that go from noisy textures to periodic sounds, but contemplating also the sounds that exist between the discontinuous and the continuous, and also to juxtapose all these textural rhythms along with the different timber qualities of the sounds. Many of these sonic elements were made from percussive and wind instruments, manipulating them in such a way (synchronic and quasi synchronic granulation, and source filter synthesis) that they became similar to insect sounds such as cicadas and crickets. Other textures were produced through convolution of insect sounds with water, cracking fire, etc, and finally, the rest were made with analog synthesis using a Mini Moog (analog) and a Waldorf (digital analog) synthesizer.
A second version of the piece was made one year later, adding a wind ensemble constituted by Flute, Clarinet, Flute in G and Bass Clarinet. The sounds of these four instruments added up in the integration of a new acoustic species cohabiting and interacting with the different electronic genera. This new version was created to be used for a dance choreography by Alicia Sanchez that never happened. It was finally premiered for the first-time years later, on February 8th, 2019, by the Mexican Cepromusic Ensemble directed by Jose Luis Castillo in the Manuel M. Ponce hall in Bellas Artes, Mexico City.

Manuel Rocha Iturbide is a composer, artist and writer. His creative work comes from different approaches to the sonic phenomena; from pure imagination, programmatic ideas, conceptual art, soundscape and experimentation with different sound objects. His interdisciplinary work has led him to use photography, sculpture, installation, and visual art as a complement of his sonic work.