Program note

The term strobo derives from the ancient Greek στρόβος (stróbos), meaning whirling, twisting, or spinning, often referring to rapid cyclic or rotational movement produced by periodic sampling, namely, a sequence of short or instantaneous observations. In physics and acoustics, strobo denotes sampling or modulation at periodic intervals (as in stroboscope or stroboscopic effect). The term is also associated with stroboscopic light: rapid periodic flashes that create the perceptual impression of discontinuous or pulsed motion.

In 1833, Simon Stampfer introduced the concept of the stroboscopische Scheiben (also known as the phenakistiscope) in his treatise Die stroboscopischen Scheiben; oder, Optischen Zauberscheiben: Deren Theorie und wissenschaftliche Anwendung, erklärt von dem Erfinder [The stroboscopic discs; or optical magic discs: Their theory and scientific application, explained by the inventor]. Stampfer demonstrated how the illusion of motion arises when, during imperceptibly brief and regular interruptions of light, one figure is replaced by another in a slightly altered position. Any sequence of figures may thus be organised to produce the appearance of movement in any desired direction.

The concept of stroboscopic process, its mechanisms, transitions, and emergent effects, served as an inspiring model for the compositional approach in this work. It informed my thinking about sound spatialization, and also how to treat specific parameters of grains in a series network, in which input samples pass through multiple transformational states, specifically from 1–17 potential stages, followed by further output processes and alteration phases across 1–9 additional stages. This paradigm not only expands the means of generating distinct sonic figures but also allows the alteration of the number and order of transformational stages. As a result, a single input may yield diverse internal displacements and transformations, leading to the formation of a stack of outputs within a shared typology as well as outputs with markedly divergent characteristics.