INITIALS TOOLS

CHANT (1980), FORMES (1984), ESQUISSE (1987)

Jonathan Harvey

Mortuos Plango, Vivos Vico (1980), for tape.
"Timbral Composition": FFT analysis, sounds of a boy's voice and bell were manipulated by MUSIC V (Max Mathews) and CHANT (Xavier Rodet and Gerald Bennett) and mixed with similar computer synthesized sounds.

Bhakti (1982) for 15 players and tape.
Interpolating spectra between timbres with MUSIC V and spectral manipulations with CHANT.

Ritual Melodies (1989-90) for tape.
Simulation of instrumental sounds (shakuhachi, Indian Oboe, temple bell…) with CHANT and FORMES.

"FORMES is a program which organizes the operation of synthesis hierarchically"

Jean-Baptiste Barrière

Chreode (1983) for tape.
All sounds are synthesized with CHANT and the scores were elaborated and generated with FORMES.
The work on timbre is essentially based on the compression and expansion of formants or spectral enveloppes, by departing from vocal types material and derivating from this models towards others, with or without references to musical families of instrumental timbres.

Hybris (1988) for tape.
Hybris is an exploration of a "space of timbres" built around two main models, the double bass and the tamtam, and occasional other instrumental models (marimba, vibraphone, timbale, piano, crotale, slaptub, …).
These models were manipulated using the "Esquisse" library (a spectral program) and the synthesis program "Modeles de Résonances" (extension of CHANT).
+ a special chaotic process called "cymbalisation".