Del Castillo This is a sound composition for an installation work created in collaboration with the American artist Catherine Ferguson. The basic idea that underlies this work is the concept of 'conjuction' or union stage of alchemy. This stage of union is reached by the combination of three materials: fire. metal and water. The visual artist created vessel-like forms made out of metal rod and covered with flickering lights to symbolise the elements of fire and metal. To complete the alchemist's palette I drew upon water sounds. The sound sources were dripping water and seawash. Additional sound material was generated through computer processing, particularly spectral transformation and time expansion/compression. In all these new material my aim was to preserve a water-like or watery quality. The composition is divides into 4 sections. In each of the four sections I worked with different rhythmic structures imposed on the dripping water sounds. These rhythmic structures were mainly based on changes of speed. Sound spatialisation is an important element in this work. I drew on ideas such as: circular motion, swirling movements and stillness or no-movement. There are sounds moving through a circular orbit. From right through centre, to left through rear, to right. As the sounds approach the centre it grows brighter, louder and dryer. As it recedes towards the rear, it grows darker, softer and more reverberant. Other sounds move in a similar way but at a different speed, thus creating layers of sonic textures travelling in circular orbits but at different speeds. In this way, the sound materials contrast with the stillness of the visual forms. Along the sound composition there are regions or moments of high density and moments of low density in terms of sonic events. The general atmosphere is delicate, subtle, sparse and minimal. More information and sounds: http://www.catherineferguson.com/installation/castillo.html