Program Notes

The Mist is a piece that delves into the fear of insidious threats, a fear that lingers longer and cuts deeper than the fear of flames. A clear danger can be confronted and fought, but we can find ourselves at a loss when a problem creeps in slowly and unknowingly. In the face of such helplessness, individuals are often left with a blurred, pessimistic view of everything around them, filled with a simmering, undefined anger. As this mist of negativity gradually engulfs society as a whole, we’re left to wonder what terrifying events might unfold beyond it.

This work is produced in stereo, 7.1-channel, and 8-channel formats using Dolby Atmos rendering. The generation and motion of mist-like atmospheres are articulated more effectively through the multichannel space. Recorded sounds such as noises of the viola, guitar strums, footsteps and long-distance car noises, together with sine tones and other basic waveforms, morph organically into textures that feel familiar yet strangely uncanny. As the piece approaches its end, rhythmic momentum and distortion intensify. Special thanks to Lucian Parisi, who collaborated on the audiovisual component, all graphics were coded in GLSL and hosted in Autolib.