Forringelse (2014) by Lottie Sadd

Composed in response to Yoko Ono’s 'One' (1965), this work deals with the idea of disintegration and variable lengths of decay, embodied in both the sound in the piece and the dying flame of Ono’s film. The first section addresses explicitly the build-up of tension, of the suspense before attack. Waves of sound are gradually constructed into interweaving layers with an ominous, pulsating texture, embodying the segment with a sense of instability. This works with the potential energy in the un-struck match, leading into the subsequent frenzy of its burning. This blaze of activity is reciprocated in the second part of the piece which utilises short, sharp, abrasive sounds that jump around the space. This illusion of movement is in contrast to the relative stasis of the section; despite the incessant movement within, there is little direction away from. It is a respite then when it morphs into the final ambient and more tonal part. It is here, with the waves of sound like an out-going tide, that the notion of decay becomes apparent. This section, in reaction to the dampening of the flame, acts to wash away the sound until it fades into nothing.