Composing with Feedback

Gastvortrag Otto Wanke

The phenomenon of feedback loops may be observed as an important principle in diverse dynamic systems in nature. Feedback processes are also used in various systems that are essential for our musical practice – e.g. single-sample feedback loop, which is crucial for building of a multitude of audio processing tasks, including practically all filters and many oscillators, as well as different kinds of nonlinear and chaotic feedback systems. In words of Austrian-American physician Heinz von Foester: „It is what change a trivial machine to a non-trivial machine“. In this lecture I will show that feedback systems offer many fascinating implications for compositional processes. I will present concrete forms of their use both in electroacoustic composition and performance with modular synthesizers, as well as in working with video and 3D graphics. Finally, it will be shown that these methods can be used to generate notation material, e.g. melodic or rhythmic patterns. 

Otto Wanke (*1989) is a composer and performer of electroacoustic music. His work combines instrumental writing with electronics as well as with interactive media or visual art. He studied electroacoustic and instrumental composition at the mdw and MUK with Karlheinz Essl and Wolfgang Liebhart. He completed his doctorate also at the mdw with Gesine Schröder and Martin Supper. Since 2020 he teaches electroacoustic composition at the Janáček Academy of Music in Brno. He has worked with ensembles and orchestras including PHACE, OENM, Black Pencil Ensemble, Grafenegg Symphony Orchestra, Deutsche Radio Philharmonie or SOV Symphony Orchestra Vorarlberg. His works have been premiered at Wien Modern, Acht Brücken and Carinthian Summer, and he has collaborated with institutions such as the National Opera in Warsaw and the ZKM in Karlsruhe.