Cast

Williams, Nick

About the work

Based on Eduardo Paolozzi’s ‘Mechanik’s Bench. How does one write a piece that is “anonymous”, that doesn’t have any personality or character? An impossible challenge, but I’ve tried various strategies to achieve it, which have parallels with Paolozzi’s sculpture. A collection of parts taken out of a larger context, rendered pointless, machines which don’t do anything. Yet, just as Paolozzi failed in his quest (his pieces are irresistibly anthropomorphic), so this lack of character becomes the character of the music.

Technical notes

Spatial separation of pitched instrument group and percussion group is desirable – they play independently.

Origin

Call for Pieces Entry: Liverpool Tate call for pieces 2002