When ice is placed into a glass of water it cracks and pops due to the phenomenon known as differential expansion. Because the water is warmer than the ice, the outer layer of the ice expands and fractures while the core stays cool. This micro-scale cracking was captured with tiny microphones inserted into tall drinks glasses and provided the concept for this composition. Additional sounds of effervescence, bubbling and pouring liquids were recorded to accompany the smaller ice sounds.

Ice breaker follows on from my earlier works Switched on (2011) and Time will tell (2013) that both explore the use of small sounds within an acousmatic context. New techniques for clustering small ice sounds were explored in this work along with Horacio Vaggione’s concept of micromontage.

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Ice breaker was realized in the summer of 2015 at the composer’s studio in Manchester (England, UK) and premiered on October 23, 2015 during the L’Espace du son festival at Théâtre Marni in Brussels (Belgium). Ice breaker was awarded the 2nd prize at the SIME International Electroacoustic Music Competition (Lille, France, 2016).

Composition

• June – August 2015, Personal studio, Manchester (England, UK)

Premiere

• October 23, 2015, L’Espace du son 2015: Manuella Blackburn, Théâtre Marni, Brussels (Belgium)

Awards

• 2nd prize, SIME 2016, Lille (Nord, France)
• Selection, Musica elettroacustica, Concorso Internazionale di Composizione Città di Udine 2016, Udine (Italy)