Tristan Perich — Infinity Gradient (Contius organ Sint-Michiels Church)

Tristan Perich — Infinity Gradient
(Belgian premiere)

Tristan Perich is a composer and sound artist from New York. He is known for his use of ‘1-bit’ electronics, a very simple form of digital sound. Perich combines these computer-like sounds with acoustic instruments such as piano, strings, or ... the organ. His new work Infinity Gradient is a musical tour-de-force for church organ and one hundred (!) 1-bit speakers. Perich's inspiration was the monumental scale of the pipe organ. He contrasts this with an electronic orchestra of a hundred speakers of various sizes. Each speaker plays its own musical part, based on repeating patterns of high frequencies. In combination with the acoustic organ, this creates a dense, polyphonic cloud of sound. The organist on duty is James McVinnie, who is a master of early music but also has already collaborated with Squarepusher and Philip Glass. Expect a hypnotic trip where electronic and organ sounds merge, amplified by the majestic reverberation of the baroque St. Michael's Church. Since its renovation in 2018, the Contius organ has been considered one of the best organs in Belgium.

Composition: Tristan Perich
Organist: James McVinnie
Organ: Contius organ, Sint-Michielskerk (special thanks to Contius Foundation)