SPECTRES delves into the elusive realm of radical extended techniques. Sonic illusions and spectral apparitions reveal themselves in the hidden nuances of experimental recordings and collaged loops, unveiling a haunting spectrum of noise and colour.
SPECTRES
£249
Curated by experimental composer and performer Lea Bertucci, SPECTRES comprises a large catalogue of solo extended techniques performed by a selection of New York’s premiere experimental instrumentalists.
Alongside over 650 core phrases from fifteen players, it delivers more than 500 specially sound-designed textures, atmospheres, and tones created in our brand new COLLAGE engine — a cutting-edge sample looping environment that allows for full exploration and reinvention of the source samples.
LEADING VOICES OF THE AVANT-GARDE
SPECTRES intentionally steps away from classical norms and leans into the unique and distinctive voices of a number of luminary musicians.
Featuring performances from the likes of award-winning flautist and musical pioneer Claire Chase, harpist and Björk collaborator Zeena Parkins, and renowned percussionist Sarah Hennies, SPECTRES finds fresh angles for experimental music.
+ BRENT ARNOLD
Brent Arnold is a versatile cellist and composer. He studied under mentors Michael White and Walter Grey, mastering solo cello, electronics, and composing for various mediums. He’s collaborated with artists diverse as Zola Jesus, Jim Jarmusch, and Modest Mouse, leaving an indelible mark on the contemporary music scene.
+ CLAIRE CHASE
Claire Chase is an accomplished flautist, educator, and advocate for contemporary music, constantly engaged with pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with her instrument. A recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship and Avery Fisher Prize, she is known as one of the most enterprising and imaginative musicians in her field.
+ DAN PECK
Dan Peck, a tubist based in New York City since 2005, enjoys a dynamic career as a soloist, improviser, and sideman across diverse musical realms. His current focus is on experimental music and improvisation, exploring the rich range of tones and frequencies possible with the tuba.
+ DARIUS JONES
Darius Jones, an innovative saxophonist and composer, charts a unique path in the tradition of black music. He's earned accolades like the Van Lier Fellowship and holds a degree from NYU. His approach is to treat the saxophone not as a traditional melodic tool, but as an instrument of harmonic and timbral exploration.
+ JAMES ILGENFRITZ
Composer and bassist James Ilgenfritz is a respected figure in New York's new music community. His notable performances include work with composers and improvisers Pauline Oliveros, Roscoe Mitchell and Rufus Reid.
+ JEREMIAH CYMERMAN
Jeremiah Cymerman is a composer and producer based in New York City, recognised for his pioneering work in apocalyptic electroacoustic chamber music. His extensive discography, including releases on Tzadik and 5049 Records, fuses reed techniques with the intensity of black metal.
+ JOHN MCCOWEN
John McCowen, a clarinetist and composer, explores a unique polyphonic language on a traditionally monophonic instrument. As a multi-instrumentalist, he has ventured from DIY to international rock tours. His devotion to acoustic phenomena shuns electronic augmentation, with a focus on the creation of otherworldly tones using his instrument alone.
+ JOSH MODNEY
Josh Modney, a celebrated violinist and composer, is renowned for his avant-garde musical prowess, combining composition, improvisation, and interpretation in his work. He has released albums, written on just intonation, and served as editor for Wet Ink Archive journal, showcasing his diverse contributions to the music world.
+ LESTER ST. LOUIS
A prominent figure in New York's contemporary classical and experimental improvised music scene, Lester St. Louis is a cellist whose artistic endeavours transcend disciplinary confines. With an innovative performance approach, he has an extensive career of collaborations and commissions spanning the United States and the rest of the world.
+ NATE WOOLEY
Nate Wooley, an influential American trumpeter, is renowned for expanding the horizons of his instrument, striving to blur the demarcations between tonality and texture. He has collaborated with prominent figures like John Zorn and Anthony Braxton, and has been an artist-in-residence at London’s prestigious experimental music venue, Cafe OTO.
+ SARAH HENNIES
Sarah Hennies, a percussionist and composer from upstate New York, explores diverse musical, sociopolitical, and psychological themes — notably trans identity and psychoacoustics. Renowned for her acoustic ensemble compositions and wide-ranging performances, she has received commissions from many prestigious performers and ensembles.
+ STEVE BACZKOWSKI
Steve Baczkowski began playing alto saxophone at age eight and switched to baritone by the time he was twelve. His boundary-pushing method takes his instrument beyond conventional norms, with a focus on the multiphonics and overtones that exist within the subtle nuances of a single note.
+ SUSIE IBARRA
Susie Ibarra, a luminary in the world of percussion, has a career spanning an array of creative avenues, including live performances, mobile sound mapping, audio installations, and documentary work. Her unique projects intertwine with cultural and environmental preservation, amplifying indigenous music and advocating for the protection of glaciers and freshwater sources.
+ WESTON OLENCKI
Weston Olencki, a trombonist and composer from South Carolina now based in Berlin, explores the complexities of instrumental music. His work delves into mediated listening, improvisation, and the historical, technological, and cultural aspects of vernacular art.
+ ZEENA PARKINS
Zeena Parkins, a New York-based electro-acoustic composer and harp pioneer, has redefined the harp with expanded techniques, object preparations, and electronic processing. Her compositions explore history, geography, tactility, and movement, unveiling sonic richness through subtle shifts, feedback, and melodic fragments.
IN FULL SPECTRAL COLOUR
Recordings were captured by cult engineer Randall Dunn — renowned for his work with the likes of Tim Hecker, Sunn O))), and the late Jóhann Jóhannsson — at his Brooklyn-based temple of recording Circular Ruin Studio.
Across the thirteen instruments are an expanse of tonal, atonal, and non-pitched sounds. From the 50 Hz subharmonic of a contrabass clarinet to the clicks and creaks of a its valves, every "imperfect" nuance is emphasised through precision microphone placement, becoming idiosyncratic sonic material in its own right.
→ ARTICULATIONS
ENTER THE NEW WAVE
SPECTRES comes bundled with a wealth of over 500 sound-designed presets expertly crafted by the SLATE + ASH team.
Drawing influence from the new wave of experimental film scoring spearheaded by independent studios such as A24 and Neon, they provide an enormous range of experimental sounds — pads, atmospheres, rhythms, tones, pulses, gestures — each warped and reprogrammed using the COLLAGE engine’s ultra-controllable interface into before-uncharted territories.
→ SOUND DESIGN
RESONANT TRANSLATIONS
Alongside the original recordings are three additional re-amplified channels: a huge resonant grain silo, a wall of distorted amplifiers, and a stereo pair of vintage Roland spring reverbs.
Each reveals new tonal character in the material — creating a huge palette of space and colour. Housed in our multi-dimensional mixer, this spectral landscape can be freely explored to envision new perspectives or ever-shifting timbres.
→ INSIDE SPECTRES
CREATING THROUGH COLLAGE
SPECTRES lives in our brand new COLLAGE engine — a dynamic playground for sonic exploration, full of overlapping loops and contrasting fragments.
Inspired by the tape-splicing techniques of musique concrete, the COLLAGE engine reassembles and magnifies fragments of samples, building overlapping sequences and granular micro-montages that transcend linear time. Everything feeds into a sophisticated mixer and effect environment, with modular-like automation of almost every parameter.
SOFTWARE
Kontakt 7.7.0 or higher
Free Kontakt Player included
SYSTEM
Intel Macs (i5 or higher): macOS 11, 12 or 13 (latest update); Apple Silicon Macs: macOS 11, 12 or 13 (latest update); Windows 10 or 11, Intel Core i5 or equivalent CPU
SIZE
15 GB download
2,667 samples
