The Void; Paradoxical Tides
(Une autre œuvre de TM, “Une image que tu as recomposée 二”, se trouve ici.)
(TM writes:)
Absence of Series or Concept
This piece does not belong to any existing series, nor was it created around a specific concept. It began as the development of a fragment composed some time ago. Only after completing the work did I realise that its lack of context had itself become its defining characteristic — and perhaps its concept.
As the title The Void; Paradoxical Tides suggests, the music moves forward with considerable momentum despite possessing neither an obvious context nor a clear sense of coordination. The individual parts often seem to proceed independently of one another, yet somehow arrive at a state of balance. This contradiction may not be unique to music; it is a phenomenon that can be observed throughout the natural world.
The piece belongs to no particular series and was conceived without any predetermined concept. Tonality and scale remain deliberately ambiguous, while the distinction between strong and weak beats is often unclear. The various parts appear to be coordinated, yet in reality they are not; nevertheless, they ultimately coexist in harmony. The coexistence of coordination and disunity may itself be regarded as the work’s underlying concept.
The Appeal of Paradox
Although this is not unique to this composition, I was particularly conscious of creating what might be described as digital music centred on acoustic sounds. While the compositional process is entirely digital, acoustic timbres occupy the foreground, producing a distinctive texture and character.
As the work progressed, I found myself becoming increasingly fond of it, although I am still unable to explain precisely why. Perhaps its appeal lies in the fact that contradictory elements are allowed to coexist without resolution. Some listeners may associate the piano phrases with a relaxed waltz, but such associations are contexts created by the listener. The music itself contains no inherent narrative or contextual framework.
There is also a certain “alien” quality here, something I experienced previously while working on the Cube series. One is left wondering where the individual phrases originated and by what logic they have been combined. The parts seem entirely unrelated, yet together they form a coherent piece of music. That mystery may be the essence of the work.
(TI writes:)
A Collection of Fragments
When I first received TM's Musescore score, what struck me most was the feeling that it was a collection of fragments.
Each phrase possessed its own clear intention and character, yet the relationships between them were not immediately apparent. As a whole, the piece seemed to consist of disconnected elements placed side by side without an obvious narrative framework.
Because of this, my goal was never to impose a new meaning or structure onto the work.
Instead, I focused on creating a condition in which these fragments could coexist without interfering with one another.
Leaving the Structure Untouched
The underlying structure of TM's score remained entirely unchanged.
The phrases, formal development, and relationships between the various parts all remain exactly as TM originally composed them.
From an acoustic perspective, however, a considerable amount of work was carried out to reinforce and refine the material.
During the early stages of production, the drum parts were separated into individual elements, with the bass drum and hi-hat replaced by sounds from Studio One. The electric guitar was processed through an amplifier simulation, while the string parts were reinforced by layering solo cello sounds onto selected counter-melodic passages without removing the original string voices.
The piano was also treated in a similar manner. High-register piano motifs were separated into independent tracks and processed individually. This approach was not only useful for frequency management but also allowed for more detailed control over dynamics and expression.
None of these interventions were intended to rewrite the composition. Rather, they were undertaken to clarify and strengthen the role and character already present within each part.
Designing an Acoustic Environment
In that sense, my role in this work was closer to acoustic design than arrangement.
Most of the work consisted of managing frequency conflicts between parts, using EQ and compression to clarify rhythmic contours, and constructing the overall spatial environment of the piece.
The spatial processing, in particular, went far beyond simply adding reverb.
I treated the reverberant elements themselves as sonic materials. Reverb was shaped through distortion, compression, and delay processing, creating a shared acoustic space capable of containing the different parts of the composition.
These effects were not used in a fixed manner. Their combinations and intensities were continuously adjusted throughout the piece through extensive automation.
How much space should be given to a particular sound?
At what moment should a resonance move forward, and when should it recede?
Which effects should be active, and which should remain silent?
By constantly adjusting these relationships, I attempted to shape the interactions between the fragments themselves.
As a result, much of the project's computational load came not from the source material, but from the automation required to manage these evolving spatial relationships.
Preserving the Mystery
What I find particularly interesting is that the resulting sense of unity does not emerge from any obvious internal logic within the composition itself.
The individual parts remain largely independent and do not necessarily move in the same direction.
Yet they share a strong sense of occupying the same space.
In that sense, this work is not an attempt to merge disparate fragments into a single narrative. Rather, it is an exploration of how fundamentally different elements can coexist within the same environment.
The sense of contextual absence and strangeness that TM describes was already present in the score from the beginning.
My role was not to solve that mystery.
Instead, it was to preserve it—to create an acoustic framework in which that mystery could remain intact while still becoming a coherent listening experience.
Looking back, the process was less about adding something new and more about creating an environment in which contradictions and imbalances could continue to exist without being resolved.
As the title The Void; Paradoxical Tides suggests, the piece is not held together by a narrative or conceptual framework.
Its parts move in different directions, yet somehow maintain a state of equilibrium.
Perhaps that inexplicable balance is the true subject of the work.
TRACK DATA
Composition tool: MuseScore 4, Studio One 7.1 Pro
Recording tool (DAW): Studio One 7.1 Pro
Number of tracks: 36
Sound sources: Presence XT, Sample One (All built-in sound sources of Studio One), MuseScore built-in sound sources
Composition and recording period: Sep 24 2024 - Oct 5 2024, Apr 9 2025
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