The issue is getting more attention these days. This is an article I published two years ago on this site. Please comment!

Generally, I
feel skeptical about compression. Consequently there is none of that in the music I have published - for example on You Tube. Compression
is a device that automatically lower the high volumes of a recording and lift
the low ones. You can apply much or just a little. It is something people tend
to discuss. 

The first
time I heard a digital recording – I remember it was a Schubert Lied sung by baryton
Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau  - I was amazed
by the dynamics and intensity. The dynamic span was obviously far beyond what
was possible on vinyl records which was the normal option at the time. As far
as I remember, this advantage of the CD format was generally thought of as a
great step forward. The playing of CDs had more silence than LPs ever could
reproduce, and more volume as well. When Fischer-Dieskau finished off a phrase,
his breath was the only thing heard, not the soft rumble that even the best of
vinyl record players would give you. When fortissimo the sound of his voice was
fuller and louder, when pianissimo it was really very soft. “It is like being
in the concert hall” someone said. And yes, the experience of listening was more
like being in the room with the singer, more like going to a live performance.

When recording
the piece, it is a fair assumption to say that both the singer and the
accompanist would have given the dynamics some artistic attention. Dynamics are
vital in order to build and release emotional tension. More dynamics means
potentially more expression.

The was good
news for musicians way back in the eighties. CDs gave more freedom of expression.
To listeners the CDs were more like authentic live experiences. So why,
literally spoken, would you compress the artistry and the authenticity by
leveling out the differences in volume?

The answer
is: playback systems do not always cope with both pianissimo and forte. To
obtain the best possible playback on a system of average quality music
producers would normally level out the differences in volume by using
compression. Some loudspeakers might even break down if the loudest sounds are
not dampened.

The reason
for using compression is in other words situational. For most situations - out
there in the world of music lovers with playback systems of all kinds - it
makes sense.

For my
situation not. I have decided to make music for more optimal situations when
silence and good, realistic  dynamics are
achievable – as being in actual concerts, through headphones or good loudspeakers.
Given that compression is the norm, the decision implies that I sometimes may
have to tell listeners how to adjust the playback level.

Det er en sjanger som oppsto på 70-tallet. Det vanlige var at elektronisk musikk ble produsert i studio, men flere og flere begynte etter hvert å eksperimentere med levende fremførelser – ofte i kombinasjon med tradisjonelle akustiske instrumenter.

Det typiske ved musikkformen er at musikken skapes i sann tid, der og da. Mikrofoner, ulike typer sensorer og/eller kontrollere brukes for å trigge og styre elektroniske instrumenter som synthesizere, effektenheter, opptakere eller lignende.

Det varierer sterkt mellom utøverne av denne sjangeren hvilke instrumenter og styringssystemer som tas i bruk. Ingen standardiserte løsninger finnes. Ofte ser man at musikerne innen denne sjangeren bygger sine egne instrumenter eller kontrollere.

Jeg begynte å bygge instrumentariet fra 1985 - en prosess som stadig pågår. I riggen for ElektRomantikk finnes analoge synthesizere fra tidlig 80-tall sammen med helt moderne komponenter. Noen av instrumentene lar seg betjene på normalt måte med tangenter og brytere, men selve kjernen i strukturen er kontaktmikrofonen, festet på oboens munnstykke. Fra denne mikrofonen sendes styringssignaler i forgreninger via ulike kontrollere til alle de elektroniske instrumentene.

10 sekunder

En grunnleggende utfordring knyttet til elektronisk musikk kan være mangelen på sammenheng mellom det publikum hører og det de ser. Det kan oppfattes som et problem at tilhørerne ikke vet om musikken utøves der og da, eller om det foregår avspilling av et opptak.

Som en parallell til dansk films dogmetradisjon har jeg derfor definert mitt eget dogme: Grensen er 10 sekunder. Det skal ikke foreligge playback eller ferdige samples, ingen programmerte lyder eller sekvenser som varer lenger enn dét – 10 sekunder. Det du ser, er det du hører.