For this New Sounds, listen to Tristan Perich's 1-bit electronics together with Mariel Roberts' cello for a driving, hypnotic, and exhilarating work, “Formations.” Roberts, although still in her 20s, tests the limits of contemporary cello technique (cello as percussion instrument, working with looping) in the repertoire she chooses, from works by Kaija Saariaho to the works commissioned for her release, “Nonextraneous Sounds.” 

Perich is known for his 1 bit sound, which, he acknowledges, “is also the palette of aggressive electric alarm clocks,” but when combined with traditional acoustic instruments like the cello, Perich describes the result as “inspiringly fresh and mysteriously organic.” That, and more.

PROGRAM #        3385, 1-bit Workouts   (First aired on 10/1/2012)