In 2009 researchers from Germany’s Argelander Institute for Astronomy called Newton’s law of gravity into question. Here, Marcus Schmickler piles on with particle/matter-wave/energy, new computer music that asks: What does it sound like when galaxy clusters of 30 objects reciprocally influence each other by means of gravitation?

If you were at Schmickler’s Lampo debut in 2002, you’ll remember his <22-gliders>rule, a simulation of cellular automata transforming a string quartet. For tonight’s performance his method is related to the prior work but the context is different. This time it’s a sonification of astrophysical data. In the piece we hear the collisions of first two and then three simulated galaxies.

Gravitation appears to operate differently on Earth than it does on a grand scale between galaxies great distances apart, says Schmickler.

Marcus Schmickler (b.1968, Cologne, Germany) studied composition and electronic music and works in both composed and improvised forms. He has won numerous prizes and honors and is closely associated with the Cologne label a-Musik. As a composer along with his many works of electronic music, he works with the ensemble recherche, the Staatskapelle Weimar, the musikFabrik, the Paragon Ensemble, the Ensemble Zeitkratzer, among others. As a musician he works with artists such as John Tilbury, Thomas Lehn, MIMEO and Julee Cruise. His discography consists of over 50 titles, and he has performed internationally. He lives and works in Cologne.

Schmickler has appeared at Lampo several times—he and Peter Rehberg performed together in May 2009, in the duo’s first live appearance. A recording of that concert was later released on USA (PAN). In December 2007 he presented the U.S. premiere of Altars of Science. Schmickler performed with Thomas Lehn in September 2005, later released on Navigation Im Hypertext (a-Musik). He made his Lampo debut in September 2002.

Presented in partnership with the Graham Foundation