Borges Music – Lawrence Casserley

I see here a parallel with the way my Signal Processing Instrument works; frequently I set processes in motion, which then develop destinies of their own. I send a sound on a journey whose precise route through the garden of forking paths is now in the hands of the process. It is then up to me to respond to and interact with this new life form.
—Lawrence Casserley

Lawrence Casserley (b. 1941)

Born in Essex, U.K., Lawrence Casserley is a composer and musician best known for his “real time electroacoustic music.” In 1967, he studied electronic music at the Royal College of Music, and eventually became Professor-in-Charge of Studios and Adviser for Electroacoustic Music at the RCM until 1995. A frequent collaborator with Evan Parker, Casserley frequently works with other musicians, sculptors, and installation artists. In 1984, Lawrence Casserley and Simon Desorgher founded the avant-garde ensemble Electroacoustic Cabaret, most famous for their see-it-to-believe-it composition, “Bach’s Toccata in D-minor Performed on the Panther Vintage Motorbike and Apple II Computer.” Although Casserley has composed numerous electronic pieces, he is best known for conducting real-time improvisations by manipulating sounds through processors and computer programs, some of which are triggered by physical motions.

Borges-Related Works

Solar Wind (1997)
A joint project by Lawrence Casserley and British saxophonist Evan Parker, Solar Wind bears a quotation from Borges’ “The Circular Ruins.” [Link takes you to Bandcamp]

Labyrinths (1999)
This album collects four pieces structured as “musical labyrinths,” three of which were directly inspired by the works of Borges.

The Edge of Chaos (2002)
A sequel to Labyrinths, this album features a series of electroacoustic pieces inspired by the artwork of Antoni Tàpies bookended by two Borges parables, “Ragnarök” and “Everything and Nothing.”

Additional Information

Lawrence Casserley Homepage
Casserley’s web site offers information about his life and works.

Electroacoustic Cabaret
This Youtube channel offers some amazing videos of Casserley’s Electroacoustic Cabaret in action.

Author: Allen B. Ruch
Image Credit: Photograph of Casserley by Rosetti Phocus
Last Modified: 9 September 2024
Borges Music Page: Borges Music
Main Borges Page: The Garden of Forking Paths
Contact: quail(at)shipwrecklibrary(dot)com