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Florent Ghys
Baroque Tardif: Soli
Songs
- Soli [ MP3 ]
- Simplement
- Coma Carus
- Clignotants
- Bèchamel
- Phase Parisienne (digital only)
Notes
After receiving traditional French diplomas in music, Florent Ghys researched experimental and minimalist music, leading him to Bang on a Can's Summer Festival where he met others who shared his ideas of music. In 2007, he returned to his hometown in Bordeaux asking himself, "What would I write if I had to write for an ensemble in which I am the only player?"
Ghys says of his process: "The reasons for this schizophrenic question are multiple. I had the feeling of being musically isolated after arriving in Bordeaux from Paris - of being out of tune with my new environment - and I couldn't stop writing. I was also interested by the idea of breaking the boundary between the composer and the musician, and the feeling I had of sitting in the audience while my music was being played onstage wasn't, to be honest, all that satisfying.
I didn't intend to compose a solo for myself playing the upright bass, nor did I intend to compose a piece for me and a fleet of clones, but I did intend to create a 'multiple-me' ensemble.
I know multi-track recording will never replace live recording, but multi-tracking was an interesting starting point to see if I was going to change my compositional process while writing strictly for me. After all, the instrumentation for the EP was linked only to the instruments I can actually play. I could have an upright bass, a bass, a guitar, an electric guitar, a voice. I could also use a pianino (a small 6 octaves piano) and hit some dishes in my kitchen."
Baroque Tardif: Soli is the first in a series of three EPs from Florent Ghys. Baroque Tardif: Rococo and Baroque Tardif: 21 will be released in 2010.
Notes From the Composer
In 2007, I returned to my hometown of Bordeaux, France, and decided to record a CD.
I soon asked myself: What would I write if I had to write for an ensemble in which I am the only player?
The reasons for this schizophrenic question are multiple. Returning to Bordeaux from Paris, I had the feeling of being musically isolated - of being out of tune with my new environment - and I couldn?t stop writing. I was also interested by the idea of breaking the boundary between the composer and the musician, and the feeling I had of sitting in the audience while my music was being played onstage wasn?t, to be honest, all that satisfying.
I didn't intend to compose a solo for myself playing the upright bass, nor did I intend to compose a piece for me and a fleet of clones, but I did intend to create a "multiple-me" ensemble.
I know multi-track recording will never replace live recording, but multi-tracking was an interesting starting point to see if I was going to change my compositional process while writing strictly for me - after all, the instrumentation for the EP was linked only to the instruments I can actually play. I could have an upright bass, a bass, a guitar, an electric guitar, a voice. I could also use a pianino (a small 6 octaves piano) and hit some dishes in my kitchen.
Doing everything by myself - from composition to cover design - was also a way to take time and to control everything, as opposed to the experiences I had in the past with rushed rehearsals, bad recordings, etc.
In retrospect I can say it's also revealing of the recent social changes we've had in France shifting from a collective atmosphere to an increasingly individualistic society.
For more information on Florent Ghys, please visit his artist page here.