I wrote my first real string quartet in 2011 for the Australian String Quartet. I say real, as I did write an early quartet sometime last century – a work I ended up chopping and re-scoring for wind quartet. The string quartet is almost the perfect ensemble to write for. It has a huge range in expression, colour and power, all within a self-contained unit of four instruments. Having said that, I am very much aware of the legacy of quartet repertoire that has been created since Haydn first thought it would be a good idea to put two violins, a viola and a cello together. It is perhaps because of this legacy that I felt I had to create some sort of subterfuge. And I did this through the use of electronic processing. James Ledger. Photo supplied Each instrument in my second string quartet is individually miked up and sent into a computer to have the sound manipulated in some way. The possibilities for the use of live electronic processes are limitless, but one particular process I focussed on was looping. Here, a sound can be recorded and instantly played back in a continuous loop. The looped sound can then … Continue reading James Ledger: The Distortion Mirror