Kirstine Lindemann
Breath (2022, rev. 2024)
for breath, movement, contact microphones, guitar pedals, field recordings and light
Dur. 40′
T/ (+45) 3313 5445 · E/ sales@edition-s.dk · W/ www.edition-s.dk
Composed with support from the Danish Arts Foundation
Edition·S publications are supported by the Danish Arts Foundation / Edition·S udgivelser er støttet af Statens Kunstfond
Breath (2022, rev. 2024)
for breath, movement, contact microphones, guitar pedals, field recordings and light Dur. 40′
BREATH consists of 2 parts:
Part One: 4touch
Performed by 4 musicians producing the sound live in combination with movement.
Part Two: Lung Choir
Consists of a multichannel electroacoustic soundtrack combined with movements made live by four musicians.
CONTENTS
Sound Index 4
Movement Index 4
Symbol Index 6
Position Overview 9
Score, Part 1: 4touch 11
Cue-list 16
Score, Part 2: Lung Choir 18
The Ableton project for the soundtrack of part 2, Lung Choir, can be found here: https://edition-s.dk/music/kirstine-lindemann/breath
Instrumentation
Player Vocoder Note
1
2
3
4 4
Vocoder-settings
Player 1
Blend 100%
Bands 100%
Tone 0%
Gender Bender 50%
Pitch 25%
Mic by pass + preset on
Player 2
Blend 100%
Bands 40%
Tone 70%
Gender Bender 100%
Pitch 60%
Mic by pass + preset on
Player 3
Blend 100%
Bands 50%
Tone 0%
Gender Bender 50%
Pitch 20%
Mic by pass + preset on
Player 4
Blend 100%
Bands 60%
Tone 80%
Gender Bender 50%
Pitch 25%
Mic by pass + preset on
The following playlist provides a demonstration of all the movements: https://www.youtube.com/@kirstinelindemann8003 https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEC5mKanMfCMqaygyB8ompXu0ovfJY3JS
Scan: https://youtu.be/-Rn6QrxvIXs
A continuous movement from the elbow.
Duration: a single movement upwards lasts approximately: 4 × q = c. 48 BPM in part A – F, 4 × q = c. 60 BPM unless other is specified in part G – P
The scan is connected to the breath:
Upwards movement = inhale, downwards movement = exhale. The scan starts from the index finger at the level of the bellybutton and finishes when at the level of the clavicle (collarbone).
Remember to keep the palm in a straight line from your lower arm, your thumb parallel to your index finger, your fingers slightly spread and your palm in a 90° angle to the floor.
Spread: https://youtu.be/gTP87fmOxmw
An impuls going through the palm of the hand. The length can vary but they should all be kept short.
Reach out: https://youtu.be/qW3uM1oe5Sk
Start the movement from you elbow. Spread out your fingers when the arm is stretched. Add a small accent here. Pull back the lower arm from the elbow, bend the wrist and relax the fingers.
Be aware that your arm is parallel to the floor and keep your torso centred.
Wave: https://youtu.be/x0LlA3AF1_0
The upper arm is parallel to the floor, the lower arm is a 90° angle from the upper arm.
The palm should be a straight prolongation of the lower arm. When upright, the fingers should be pretty tense to keep the palm straight.
The movement is made from the elbow, pulling the upper arm down until it’s parallel to the floor. When reaching this position, the fingers should be relaxed, hanging.
Keep them relaxed while immediately pulling up the lower arm from the elbow up until reaching the beginning position with the palm straight upwards.
Make sure not to let the upper arm go lower than parallel to the floor when turning the upperarm down. When in the beginning position, make sure your lower arm is parallel to the head.
Swipe down: https://youtu.be/EO4Jd3GuDJg
After making a movement with a stretched arm, lower it down slowly with the palms facing outwards and the arms (relatively) stretched.
Turn: https://youtu.be/kq90BIfi4kg
The lower arm is bent to be parallel with the upper arm in a straight line in front of the lower arm. The movement takes place in the neck and in the elbow.
The lower arm is moved from the elbow to a 90° angle, parallel to the head and back.
The head turns in the direction of the hand and back at the same time.
Be aware that the lower arm should move a bit faster than the head in order to finish the movement at the same time.
Turn variation: https://youtu.be/V4KflrS4IKw
The same as the turn above, but instead of turning the same direction as the hand, the head turns toward the opposite direction.
Shake: https://youtu.be/LY8B75qsolQ
The shake takes place in a scan and is a fast shake from the elbow.
Straight shake: https://youtu.be/laYE6Cb_7zM
The straight shake takes place while the arm is stretched.
The movement is made from the wrist, moving the hand up and down fast. OBS this is not very easy!
As a variation one can move the palm of the hand back and forth.
Windshield: https://youtu.be/-z8DX4AURuE
The windshield has its name from a windshield wiper
It’s a fast movement happening in a scan. It’s initiated from the elbow which makes the lower arm swipe out and back.
Sound (leading)
Scan upwards on inhale
Duration = four q unless other is specified. With breath-sound.
Scan downwards on exhale
Duration = four q unless other is specified. With breath-sound.
Scan upwards on inhale, small arrow
Duration = one q unless other is specified. With breath-sound.
Scan downwards on exhale, small arrow
Duration = one q unless other is specified. With breath-sound.
Active Spread R. H.
Vary the length and rhythm but keep them all fairly short. Connect the movement to a soft voiced sound from your throat.
Active Spread L. H.
Vary the length and rhythm but keep them all fairly short. Connect the movement to a soft voiced sound from your throat.
Sound (leading)
Scan upwards on inhale
Duration = four q unless other is specified.
Scan downwards on exhale
Duration = four q unless other is specified.
Scan upwards on inhale, small arrow
Duration = one q unless other is specified.
Scan downwards on exhale, small arrow
Duration = one q unless other is specified.
Active Spread R. H.
Vary the length and rhythm but keep them all fairly short. Connect the movement to a soft voiced sound from your throat.
Active Spread L. H.
Vary the length and rhythm but keep them all fairly short. Connect the movement to a soft voiced sound from your throat.
Reach out R. H. Free timing
Reach out L. H. Free timing
Swipe down R. H. With breath sound.
Swipe down L. H. With breath sound.
Shake R. H.
On exhale
Make a fast glissando with voice.
Shake L. H.
On exhale
Make a fast glissando with voice
Shake inhale R. H.
On inhale
Make fast glissando with voice
Shake inhale L. H.
On inhale
Make fast glissando with voice
Wave R. H. Free timing
Wave L. H. Free timing
Swipe down R. H. With breath sound.
Swipe down L. H. With breath sound.
Turn R. H. Free timing
Turn L. H. Free timing
Turn variation R. H. Free timing
Turn variation L. H. Free timing
Windshield R. H.
Duration = one q unless otherwise specified
Make fast glissando with voice
Windshield L. H.
Duration = one q unless otherwise specified
Make fast glissando with voice
Scan upwards on inhale
Duration = four q unless otherwise specified
With breath-sound
Non-sync with the other players
Scan downwards on exhale
Duration = four q unless otherwise specified
With breath-sound
Non-sync with the other players
Straight shake R. H.
Free timing
Straight shake L. H.
Free timing
Scan upwards on inhale
Duration = four q unless otherwise specified
Non-sync with the other players
Scan downwards on exhale
Duration = four q unless otherwise specified
Non-sync with the other players
POSITION OVERVIEW – PART 1: 4touch SECTIONS
i r s t i n e L i n d e m a n n
e v .
L H c o n n u e d R e p 3x q R e p u n t l c u e / q R H c o n n u e d
R e p 3x q L H R e p u n t c u e / L H c o n t n u e d q R e p 3x q R e p u n t i l c u e / q R H c o n n u e d R e p 3x
B O T H H A N D S
d c u e / L H x R e p 7 x x R e p u n c u e x
B O T H H A N D S x R e p 3x x R e p u n t i c u e / L H c o n x
R H R e p 7 x x
R e p a d b x
B O T H H A N D S x R e p 3x x R e p u n t l l b / R H P ULL I N TO TO P O F S C AN R H c o n
R H L H L H c o n
R e p u n c u e
The pe r f o r me r s s t o p ma k ng s o und o n he i r i na nd e xha l e n t he f o l o w ng o rd e r 4, 2 1 , 3 A l f ro nt g ht s g r a d ua l y g o o ff i n t he s a me o rd e r
∑ / L H P ULL I N TO TO P O F S C AN
Re p u n t c u e Whe n t he s o und t r a c k s t a r t s Wa k ba c k t o be g u t a r pe d a l s o unp ug t he m c ro pho ne s
R e p u n t i l c u e Re p u n t i l c u e
∑ / R H P ULL I N TO TO P O F S C AN
L H R H c o n
/ L H P ULL N TO TO P O F S C AN
R H Mo v e ha n d s c o n st a n t y u p a n d d o w n i n sc a n Ad d b re a t h so u n d : Ta ke o v e r e a c h o t he r s so u n d i n t he d e sc r i b e d o r d e r : P 4, 2, 1 , 3 - so u n d n g o n l y 1 a t he t i m e Fre e t m i n g, n o n syn c m o v e m e n s u n t i l t he e n d L. H . c o n
R e p u n t i l c u e Re p u n t i l c u e
Re p u n t i l c u e ∑ ≈
R e p a d l i b T he pe r fo r m e r s st o p m a ki n g so u n d o n t he r n - a n d e xha e n t he fo l o w i n g o r d e r 4 2, 1 3 Fre e m n g
∑
List of Audio Cues and Movement
Places written with regular font describe the action of the musicians
Places written in italic are mentioned as points of aural orientation
Time Code Soundtrack
0. Oxygen machine in Ab (low octave)
Walk to your position,stand with the hands hanging down by your side, eyes closed
Oxygen machine in Ab (low octave)
Oxygen machine in Ab (high octave)
Oxygen machine in b (high octave) (long fade in before)
1. Sound of vocoder 1 and white noise
Both hands: Make one upward scan.
Start straight shake when the white noise finishes.
(0′0″)
(0′0″)
21 accents in total
The other hand is hanging relaxed on the side of your body
Breath starts
Change to higher pitch in oxygen machine (B)
14 more accents before stop
Screaming lung
2. Sound of vocoder 1
Pull arms in to stop at the upmost point of the scan movement
3. Oxygen machine in B (low octave) with accents
On the first accent, make 1 scan movement downwards with both hand
On the following accents, make the scan movement with 1 hand. Change direction on each accent in track.
Pl. 1 R.H.
Pl. 2 L.H
Pl.
(0′0″) (0′50″) (2′37″) (3′49″) (4′29″) (4′34″)
4. Oxygen machine stops with double beat in the last accent
Stop scan, keep your hands down your sides
Grunting solo
Fade out of grunt
5. Sound of vocoder 4 (high pitch)
Put your arm in low scan position
6. Sound of vocoder 3 (low pitch)
Make one upward scan and go to reach out with the same hand
Pl. 1 R.H.
Pl. 2 L.H
Pl. 3 L.H.
Pl. 4 R.H.
7. Distant oxygen machine enters 1st accent
Pull the hand in to start scan on the 1st accent of the oxygen machine
8. Distant oxygen machine 2nd accent
Start scan down on the 2nd accent of the oxygen machine
Add your sounding breath with air between your lips and continue up and down turn on each accen
9. Oxygen machine in B (high octave) stops
Continue the movement with the breath sound Fall apart in rhythm (non-synchronised)
10. Lights fade down
Continue the movement with breath sound until 3 seconds after black The one that finishes last finished the piece
Speaker 3
Field recordings
Sourcefour 3 + stand
Speaker 2
Field recordings
2A 3A Public Public
4A
Sourcefour 4 +stand
Speaker 4
Sourcefour 2 +stand
Field recordings
Speaker 1
Sourcefour 1 +stand
Field recordings
Speaker 3
Field recordings
Sourcefour 3 + stand
Speaker 2
Field recor dings
Sourcefour 2 +stand
Sourcefour
Sourcefour
Sourcefour 4 +stand
Speaker 4
Speaker 1
Field recordings
Sourcefour 1 +stand
Field recordings