Dirk Veulemans - Composer
NED | ENG

1/3  Wind chest
 

2/3  Bellow
 

3/3  Little Verbeeck barrel organ
 

Barrel organs

Fascinated by automatons, I have to love barrel organs. That's what prompted me to make some sound recordings in the workshops of Johnny Verbeeck, a world-class organ builder.

Air pressure

As workshop sounds have always been 'phono'genius, these at Verbeeck's were also fascinating because of the use of air pressure. Air pressure is used on 3 different levels: air pressure to control certain machines in the workshop, there is also the controlling air pressure to pneumatically operate the organ valves and stop slides and finally air pressure to create the sound in the organ pipes. In the organ world, however, one speaks of wind. An important part of the organ, by the way, is the 'wind'chest, hence the title.

From soundscape to composition

At a certain point my attention was drawn to a machine that was driven by compressed air. It was the machine that punched out the perforated cards, called books, with which barrel organs work until today.

The compressed air of the punching machine gradually turns into the softer blowing of the organ through a mix of synthesized sound, manipulated recordings and electronic sounds.

Logos and the Sound Travels Project

Around that timeLogos asked if I would be interested in participating in Darren Copeland's Sound Travels project. This Canadian composer was touring with his Richmond Sound Design AudioBox. That was a device that spatialised sound over up to 16 channels and operated under the control of a computer programme. On his way through Europe, Copeland collaborated with local composers to perform their work in spatialised concerts.

A better timing could not have come from Logos. So this composition was spatialised by me with that Richmond Box on 8 channels. and was created in the Logos Tetrahedron Concert Hall in November 1999

laatste update: 2021.06.06


Related pages
  CD - The weasel is living on the lofts now

Links other websites
  Orgels Verbeeck
  Stichting Logos Gent

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