ち — chi for Candles, Live Voice, and Sounds by Akiko Hatakeyama
Trembling lights grow and cease. Small shimmering flames create a world – an ephemeral world tied to the past, present, and the future. The orange light, fuzzy yet powerful, coexists with sounds and my voice communicates with the air at the scene. Sounds are like connected with the ground and keep our feet stable. The smell and heat from the candles confirm that I am alive, evoking senses and memories stored deep in me. The title ち — chi could mean blood, earth, knowledge, lateness, planting, and more in Japanese. Ten light sensors of the custom-made instrument, myaku, distributed onto a table react to various light intensities emitted from candle flames. Each sensor converts the light intensities to values, and these values correspond to each gain of audio files in a music program. Candle flames emit strong light comparing to small electric lights, and the dancing motion of the flames are both visible and audible in this piece. I make compositional decisions by considering the light intensities and movements of different candles to place them to create a desired yet autonomous sound environment. The length, thickness, and kinds of candles as well as kinds of candle holders used for the instrument all change the property of the sounds and affect the performance. The heat, melting wax, and smell coming from candles influence how I perform the piece.
