Multiphonies GRM 2007: Akousma

In 1958, Pierre Schaeffer, with Francois Bayle, Luc Ferrari, Iannis Xenakis, and others, organized the Groupe de Recherches Musicales (GRM). In 1966, Bayle was appointed director. In 1974, he created the Acousmonium, a loudspeaker orchestra designed to project sound in space through multiple loudspeakers. It contained eighty speakers of different sizes placed across a stage at varying heights and distances. Their placement was based on their range, their power, their quality, and their directional characteristics. In his words, "It puts you inside the sound. It's like the interior of a sound universe."

During our stay @ CCMIX, thanks to his director Gérard Pape, Sunday 6th May 2007 we went to Radio France (home of the GRM) for 'Akousma'. We listened to the following artists, where they performed live 'spatialisation' of their tapes:

Jean-Louis Dhermy, Affleurements,
Philippe Jubard, Ecouter, création,
Jacques Stibler, Champs d'ombre, création,
André Dion, Symphonie Indo-européenne : 3e mouvement Cuchulain, création,
Alexandre Yterce, Soleils d'abymes, création.

(These pieces will be available soon on GRM Webradio)

In the photo, François Bayle (seen from behind) seated at the Acousmonium control panel in the Salle Olivier Messiaen, Maison de Radio France, Paris, in 1980.
[via arts-electric.org]

Maison de Radio France
116 Avenue du Président Kennedy
75220 Paris Cedex 16

[Listen to GRM Webradio]
[Ina-GRM on Last.fm]
[Pictures of Acousmonium via flickr]