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The term “a priori” in philosophy refers to that which is already known or presupposed before any kind of inquiry has taken place.

This piece organises vocal sounds into a specific trajectory and juxtaposes these sounds with electronically manipulated material and recordings of nature and machinery. I recorded speakers of various languages – Polish (Andrzej Nowicki), Japanese (Andy Tate), Russian (Liz Platova), French (Clare Tattersall), Luo (Beryl Matete), English (myself), Dutch and German (Duncan Nairn). These languages were ‘altered’ during the recording process to accommodate the trajectory (from vowel sounds to whole words to consonant sounds to percussive voice sounds to breath sounds) and thus, while the grammar structures of each language still inform the ‘words’ of its speaker, the original meaning of word-combinations is tainted and often lost.

Much of the electronic sounds were created from these voice recordings. Moreover, a lot of only subtle electronic embellishment was employed at times – an aesthetic decision that ‘holds back’ on many opportunities to modify sounds and thus foregrounds the inverted linguistic function of the spoken languages into a purely aural sensation by presenting the recordings as they are, often without electronic manipulation.

• Anton Killin: A Priori 

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• Killin: A Priori; DATA files 

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Arapatiki was commissioned by Stephen De Pledge as one of a series of Landscape preludes, and received its first performance in the Wigmore Hall, London, in January, 2004. Arapatiki translates (from the Maori language) as ‘the way of the flounder’, and is the ancient name of the sand flats in front of my house at Harwood, near Dunedin. The piece has something to do with the advance and retreat of the tide across the flats, where many species of sea and water birds spend much of the day – an ever-varying water-scape. The opening idea is based on the song of the korimako or bellbird.

• Whitehead: Arapatiki; computer-set 

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• Whitehead: Arapatiki; computer-set 

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• Landscape Preludes  Year: 2011 

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• Gillian Whitehead: Arapatiki; video 

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• Gillian Whitehead: Various Works 

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• Stephen de Pledge - Landscape Preludes  

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• Stephen de Pledge plays Arapatiki by Gillian Whitehead 

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• Tuhonohono: Music by Gillian Whitehead 

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• An Interview with Gillian Whitehead 

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• Stephen de Pledge: Three Landscape Preludes  Year: 2004 

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• Gillian Whitehead: Arapātiki CD  Year: 2012 

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Chiaroscuro is a method used in the visual arts applying light and shadow to create the illusion of three-dimensional objects. If light comes from only one source, and therefore from one direction, then all light and shadow will be determined by the rules that this implies. ‘Chiaroscuro’ was commissioned by Stephen De Pledge in 2005.

• Cresswell, Lyell: Chiaroscuro; computer-set 

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• Cresswell: Chiaroscuro; computer-set 

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• Landscape Preludes  Year: 2011 

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• Lyell Cresswell: Chiaroscuro; audio 

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• Lyell Cresswell: Chiaroscuro; video 

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• Stephen de Pledge - Landscape Preludes  

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• Stephen de Pledge plays Chiaroscuro by Lyell Cresswell 

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This is the “permanent exhibit” from the work in progress called ‘given what we gather takes place’. The model for the whole work is that of a museum in which some exhibits are on permanent display, and others are brought up from the storeroom. In other words, some sections of music are always to be played, while others are chosen by the performers from a pool of material to present a unique exhibition for each performance. The percussionist’s instrumental collection is similarly assembled; some categories of instruments are specified while others are chosen by the percussionist with the added stipulation that some aspect of the instruments chosen must be unique to the location of the performance. The music of this particular “exhibit” alludes to, but does not use, folk-like material and is conceived as a playful sparring match between two friendly opponents. ‘given what we gather takes place’ was commissioned by Resonate Duo, to whom it is dedicated, with funding from Creative New Zealand.

• Gardner: Given what we gather takes place; computer set 

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• Gardner: Given what we gather takes place; computer-set 

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• Given What We Gather Takes Place 

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In the book Consciousness Explained Daniel Dennett convincingly argues that there is nothing about human consciousness, emotion or experience that cannot be encompassed by a purely physical, biological and mechanical explanation. We do not need to refer to some ‘soul’ or ’mind’s eye’ to describe our experiences. We are, in short, machines – just very clever machines.

These three short miniatures push the performer to the limits, yet, paradoxically, a ‘human’ reading of the score still brings to the surface a more energetic, compelling and arguably musical performance than a merely mechanical rendition.

• Norris: Machine Noise; computer set 

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• Norris: Machine Noise; computer set 

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• Landscape Preludes  Year: 2011 

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• Michael Norris: Machine Noise; video 

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• Stephen de Pledge - Landscape Preludes  

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• Stephen de Pledge plays Machine Noise by Michael Norris 

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The title is taken from the poem Spring Drift Kawhia by New Zealand poet Denys Trussell and refers to the shallow tidal harbour of Kawhia on the western coast of the North Island:

“Now hills half-stripped of gods rim this liquid drift of light, and the sea-eye flashes mosaic beneath a nest of cliffs startling the shag in its pine-black tower.”

The evocative phrase provided the inspiration for this ‘landscape prelude’, written with gratitude to its commissioner, the wonderfully poetic pianist Stephen De Pledge. It was premiered by him in the Wigmore Hall, London, on 23rd January 2004.

• de Castro-Robinson: this liquid drift of light; facsimile 

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• de Castro-Robinson: this liquid drift of light; facsimile 

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• Landscape Preludes  Year: 2011 

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• Eve de Castro-Robinson: this liquid drift of light; audio 

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• Eve de Castro-Robinson: this liquid drift of light; video 

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• Stephen de Pledge - Landscape Preludes  

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• Stephen de Pledge plays this liquid drift of light by Eve de Castro-Robinson 

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• Stephen de Pledge: Three Landscape Preludes  Year: 2004 

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