Shape Memory Alloy
"On the Precipitation of Light"
On the Precipitation of Light is titled after a phrase from Henry Brougham's "Experiments and Observations on the Inflection, Reflection & Colours of Light" (1796), in which Brougham describes what he took to be particles of different colors precipitated from light in the presence of fire.
Shape Memory Alloy is an improvising ensemble named for metal that returns to its original configuration after undergoing deformation. The alloy serves as metaphor, as the ensemble explores scalar/thematic-based improvisation in which the underlying motif or pitch set class makes itself felt no matter how radical a transformation it undergoes during the course of an improvisation.
Shape Memory Alloy is:
Ben Azzara, drums & percussion
T. A. Zook, guitar, electronics, and miscellaneous instruments
Recorded live at Sangha, April 28, 2007