NIME 2018

Libration Perturbed
by Palle Dahlstedt

Libration Perturbed is an immersive performance, and an instrument, originally composed for the speaker dome at ZKM, Karlsruhe, Germany, in September 2017. The performer controls a bank of 64 virtual inter-connected strings, and has individual control of each string. All vibrations of the strings come from physical vibrations in the keyboard interface and its casing, captured through contact microphones. In this sense, it is a hybrid acoustic-electronic instrument. All strings are connected, and can inter-resonate as a ”super-harp”. If the resonance is strong, the strings go into chaotic motion. The hybrid digital/acoustic approach and the enhanced keyboard provide for an expressive and very physical interaction, and a strong immersive experience.