Sonic Invention - Electroacoustic Composition!

Student ID: 7761673

Les Sries Sonores

Uli Aumller
Review - 30: Grillen (Crickets)
Uli Aumllers work in Les Sries Sonores is difficult to pin down using conventional genres,
given that the presence of a musical quality is certainly debatable. It can definitely be categorised
as background, be it background music or simply sound, but the idea of it not being the focus of
attention is certainly a feature of furniture music, or musique dameublement. Furniture music,
however, is originally played by live performers, so the fact that Aumllers music doesnt feature
instruments, let alone performers, suggests that it doesnt fit into this category.
For this reason, Grillen has a greater resemblance to Musique concrte, in the way that it makes
use of acousmatic sounds, rather than traditional instruments and techniques. This genre also
rarely makes use of such conventional parameters, such as melody or rhythm, which is clearly a
distinguishing feature of this work.
The idea of where the line is drawn between whether something is music or not is forever being
debated, and as such there is no definitive way of categorising this work in this sense. There are,
of course, musical qualities to it, but musical qualities themselves can be found occurring naturally
where music is not intended, which is why there is no definite answer. Indeed, Aumller seems to
have used this to his advantage here taking natural sounds, in this case produced by crickets in
a meadow, and treating it as if it were intended as music.
It is often considered that a sense of structure is required for something to be considered music,
and this can be heard in this instance. Upon listening to short extracts, it is hard to establish any
sense of form, or even change, as the constant sounds of crickets becomes a little monotonous,
but taking the entire 80 minutes of sound, slow changes can be heard, such as the start where
voices can be heard of an adult and children, which then subside to silence, where the sound of
the crickets can be heard more clearly.
While the sense of development throughout the track may be coincidental or natural, and certainly
not prepared, it can be considered a musical quality. The use of silence an important musical
feature is also implemented, although again this wasnt planned in advance. This is very much
like Indeterminate music, a term used by John Cage, where the musical elements are left to
chance.
There are several features of Augmllers work in Les Sries Sonores that are musical features,
along with many characteristics that could categorise it otherwise. The unique nature of this
recording, consisting of a continuous, seemingly unedited soundtrack of a European meadow,
makes it rather ineffective in many contexts. A live concert, for example, wouldnt be practical,
considering its delivery is solely through a recording. It would be most effective for use as a
background feature for therapeutic purposes, or serving as a neutral background filler.