In a world the place musical boundaries are continually being pushed, Elaine Walker’s newest album, “No Terrestrial Highway”, stands as a beacon of innovation and introspection. This audacious work continues the thematic journey from her earlier album, delving deep into the realms of microtonality and futuristic soundscapes. With every monitor, Elaine Walker seamlessly blends mathematical precision with creative expression, making a sonic expertise that’s as intellectually stimulating as it’s emotionally resonant.
“No Terrestrial Highway” is not only an album; it’s a profound exploration of the self and the cosmos. Elaine’s inspiration stemmed from a playful mathematical statement, evolving right into a musical odyssey that displays her internal journey and her fascination with extraterrestrial themes. From the title monitor to the alien-themed songs, every bit embodies a novel mix of non-public revelation and cosmic marvel, showcasing Elaine’s distinctive potential to weave complicated ideas into accessible and fascinating music.
The album’s retro-future aesthetic and use of microtonal scales just like the Bohlen-Pierce Scale spotlight Elaine’s dedication to pushing musical boundaries. Her background in arithmetic and her experiences in excessive Arctic analysis add layers of depth to her work, infusing it with a way of exploration and discovery. We talked to Elaine Walker whereas she continued to pave the best way for microtonal music.
Are you able to inform us concerning the inspiration behind your new album “No Terrestrial Highway” and the way the idea got here to life?
It began with the title monitor. I used to be engaged on some math with my companion, and there was a four-dimensional floor concerned. You must journey a sure strategy to get from one a part of the floor to a different, though it deceivingly appears to be like like you possibly can take a shortcut. So I used to be joking that there is no such thing as a terrestrial street from right here to there, then thought to myself, “That’s a terrific album title!” and proceeded to put in writing a title monitor. Then I wrote “Otherworld Categorical,” which I imagined because the quick rocket that might get you from right here to there in a single piece. Give a nerd the flexibility to make music, and that is what occurs.
As for the opposite songs, “Eleven,” “Invaders,” and “Don’t Depart My Planet” are alien-themed. I like the thought of aliens and really feel drawn to them. Talking of that, “Interior Alien” is about my current autism prognosis, which I’m truly very glad about. It positive explains loads! “Vultan Valley” was impressed by a Queen music, Vultan’s Theme (Assault Of The Hawk Males) from Flash Gordon. Solely the most effective and brightest ever catch my obscure Easter eggs! “Stream Discipline” and “Involution” are mathy titles–echos of my earlier math-inspired album, “4 Momentum.” Lastly, “Matter Over Thoughts” relies on my guide with the identical title. It’s my mind within the type of a guide. Think about holding it in your arms!
How did your experiences in NASA-funded humans-on-Mars analysis and your time within the Excessive Arctic affect the themes and sounds of this album?
It’s humorous you talked about that as a result of it is going to considerably affect my subsequent album. It’s referred to as the NASA Haughton-Mars Mission and takes place on Devon Island within the Excessive Arctic each Summer time. I’m lastly returning in 2025, and I do know it will likely be wonderful. It’s actually “Mars on Earth.” I’ll be surrounded by analysis scientists determining the most effective methods for people to stay and work on Mars. I’ll interview them and weblog about our adventures. I additionally hope to make one other music video there (see Martians by ZIA, 2003). Though my 5 seasons on Devon Island didn’t instantly affect “No Terrestrial Highway,” it was magnificent character growth. I went from by no means having camped a day in my life to instantly sleeping in my tent on the permafrost on the most important uninhabited island on Earth, 75˚N. The concept of people dwelling and multiplying on Mars appeared extra actual after being there. It’s a Martian panorama so far as you possibly can see––a lot extra “me” than Burning Man might ever be.
Give it some thought. Who is aware of what number of occasions there have been civilization-ending catastrophes up to now? Particularly on this digital age, we don’t wish to exist solely on Earth as a result of all traces of our information could possibly be misplaced. The actual Mars is correct subsequent door–our neighboring planet! Mars is asking us with its Earth-like day-night cycle, carbon dioxide for crops, tons of water, and a enjoyable diploma of gravity.
Your music typically explores microtonal and xenharmonic ideas. Are you able to clarify these ideas and inform the way you incorporate these parts into “No Terrestrial Highway”?
My professor at Berklee School of Music, Dr. Boulanger, launched me to the Bohlen-Pierce Scale and different microtonal tunings that made my hair stand on finish! It was like notes from outer house that I had by no means heard earlier than, but the songs “Dr. B” composed had been coherent, melodic, and good. Proper then, I knew I wished to commit my music profession to exploring microtonality. Again then, it was like a bodily exercise to get my {hardware} synthesizers in tune with one another, however now it’s straightforward with software program synths. I label my songs with the tuning they’re so listeners can get to know the totally different “flavors” of microtonality. For instance, if it says 10edo, meaning 10 equal divisions of the octave (as an alternative of the same old 12). 10edo is definitely my favourite. There’s little or no “music concept” labored out for many tunings. However I’ve all the time composed by ear anyway, so for me, microtonal scales are as straightforward as commonplace 12-tone. Severely, anybody can attempt–even nonmusicians. Simply decide a tuning and mess around with the notes till it sounds good. Delete the “unhealthy” notes and preserve attempting. AI can’t compose microtonal music but, so that you’ll have an edge!
“No Terrestrial Highway” options the usage of the Bohlen-Pierce Scale. Are you able to clarify what this scale is and the way it contributes to the general sound of the album?
The Bohlen-Pierce Scale is essentially the most alien-sounding scale of all and was fairly a loopy strategy to be launched to microtonality. It’s so “on the market” that it doesn’t even include octaves! Meaning there is just one of each be aware throughout the keyboard. So you possibly can’t merely play an octave right down to make a baseline! As an alternative of the body of the dimensions being an octave, it’s the musical interval that musicians name a “twelfth” (an octave + a fifth) divided into 13 equal steps to create the dimensions. Most musicians are amazed that such a loopy scale with no octaves is definitely extra in tune with itself than a normal piano tuning. It’s very totally different from what we’re used to–so haunting–and difficult to compose with. I work lengthy and exhausting on my Bohlen-Pierce Scale songs! However my BP songs all the time get essentially the most play. It’s develop into very in vogue. There’s simply one thing about it. It’s like alien notes speaking with us!
The album has a retro-future aesthetic. How did you stability these seemingly contrasting parts in your music?
A part of my musical mind has all the time been caught within the 80s (typically 70s), however I continually dream concerning the far future. Will we construct cities on Mars? Befriend Aliens? Increase our brains? This futurism organically weaves by my music. One thing concerning the unfamiliarity of microtonal scales brings the 80s vibe into the longer term. I name it pop music from the yr 3000.
Your work spans music, arithmetic, and philosophy. How do these fields intersect in “No Terrestrial Highway”?
There’s an interaction between the three. My futurist philosophy and math ideas I’m engaged on encourage my music, which can also be meant as background music for anybody studying my guide or math analysis.
What was essentially the most difficult facet of making this album, and the way did you overcome it?
I work finest when there’s just one factor I do in life, however these days, I’ve a number of attention-grabbing tasks occurring on the identical time. It typically looks like a race to compete with different mathematicians throughout the globe who don’t even know we exist but one way or the other are on the verge of manufacturing comparable theories. My microtonal music keyboard invention is about to want critical funding, so I’ve needed to deal with the patents. It’s all the time straightforward to place music on the again burner because it’s ethereal. It’s an artwork that doesn’t understand it must exist till it exists, whereas math is often thought to exist already, and we’re paleontologists doing all this tough work to disclose its mysteries. It’s enjoyable but in addition actually exhausting work. Making certain an electromechanical invention will work and will be manufactured fairly takes plenty of time and power. However then I remind myself that composing microtonal music can also be a precedence since not sufficient exists on the planet, and a youthful model of myself promised to commit a music profession to it!
As a pioneer of microtonal music, how do you see the way forward for this style evolving, and what function do you hope to play in it?
Microtonal music existed in the USA for 75 years earlier than I entered the scene however was nonetheless thought-about “on the market” or “avant-garde.” That’s comprehensible because it had appeared as an alternative choice to the mainstream within the first place. However nonetheless, in any case that point, there wasn’t a lot in any style I favored apart from my professor’s music, Charles Ives, Ivor Darreg, and a handful of others. Lastly, twenty years later, Sevish entered the scene! And it appeared like an explosion of latest digital microtonal music after that–Mercury Tree, Zhea Erose, Brendan Byrnes, Quick Quick… so many others. They are saying they had been influenced by me. I used to be like, “What took you guys so lengthy?” Nicely, it seems that Sevish was two once I wrote my first microtonal music. Literal time simply needed to go by!
They’re all on the Xenharmonic Alliance group on Fb, together with each different microtonal musician or fanatic on Earth. That’s the place to go. We’re all very welcoming of newcomers and glad to assist in any method. I notice my function is to maintain producing extra xenharmonic music that may be analyzed since not a lot concept exists but for a lot of xenharmonic scales. And I hope to maintain influencing individuals to attempt it out for themselves.
With the discharge of “No Terrestrial Highway,” what are your hopes for a way listeners will interact with and interpret this album?
So far as partaking with it, it’s music to review by, go to sleep to, incorporate into video video games, or dance to love an alien. My followers interpret it in the most effective methods– “Elaine Walker convinces us that by staying in our 12EDO straightjacket, we’re lacking out on a lot of the sonic universe”… or “glad little detours into chiptunes”… or “chip tune disco on acid, tinged with transdimensional intimism.” I’m actually a bit naive about transdimensional intimism.
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