Random Access

The title Random Access reflects the process used with random access memory (RAM) in computer hardware, where all incoming data can be stored and small chunks of data can be retrieved regardless of the order in which it was stored. Similarly, in Random Access all of the input from the live saxophonist is stored in the computer’s RAM. As the piece progresses, short samples of the performer are retrieved and reordered to create new contrapuntal lines. The piece begins with a simple duet between the live saxophone and the reordered material, but gradually evolves to large orchestra of sampled saxophones. While the title may imply that the retrieval process is random, it is anything but random; the input from the saxophone is precisely scripted and all electronic sounds created live.