Polyphtong

'Polyphtong' was conceived as a live quadraphonic (four-channel) composition for voice and computer. It was premiered at Stanford University in March of 2012. In August of 2013, Blonk radically reworked the piece to create the stereo version presented on this album. All sounds heard in it are derived from Blonk’s vocals. Spatial placement and movement are extended by electronic means. The phonetic concepts of diphtong and approximant are an important focus in the more meditative sectons of the work. It also uses the techniques of Blonk's cheek synthesizer: many kinds of stereo mouth sounds driven by sheer air, ranging from very low to extremely high pressures. 'Polyphtong' is a continuous piece, but it has been split into tracks for listeners’ convenience.