The work of Steve Reich, in particular his 1966 piece Come Out has become a key reference and point of inspiration for myself, when creating the track I wish to play throughout my performance. By repeating particular words and phrases of sourced sound in a singular track, Reich successfully composes music, manipulating the chosen segments of sound into a rhythm, which in turn creates a rather disturbing melody. What once appeared so explicitly human - the statement of a man recently attacked - now sounds distorted, mechanical and alien, creating a definite air of the inhuman from something which once was conventional. I wanted to use this technique for my own work, as the entire journey of the track reflects the journey of an individual experiencing a seizure. They begin apparently contained, calm, regular, until twitches may start to appear, though not always obvious at first. These twitches eventually overpower the supposed normality of the individual, until they become the norm themselves, leaving a body which has lost a element of the human by becoming detached from society's expectations of correct bodily behaviours. My track is a metaphor for the aura which I experience seconds before my fit begins, and the sound used is taken from the 1951 medical film Seizure: the medical treatment and social problems of epilepsy which paints a concerning depiction of epilepsy as something which justifies rejection from society. The ages of both these sources are important to me, as I wish to explore perceptions of epilepsy that go beyond my own experiences in the 21st century. Steve Reich - Come Out (1966) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGDo1YN_q3c Seizure: the medical treatment and social problems of epilepsy (1951) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUHleIHrGiw |