Alexandre Babel
Composer
Which sound is special for you?
I like poor sounds. “Poor” as opposed to “noble” sounds, and which would not be the product of musical instruments or any sound producing devices of advanced technology, high quality material or high craftmanship. A pen hitting a matchbox, a ceramic plate sliding over the surface of a table, the snap of a finger, these are examples of sounds I am interested in. I believe the identity of a sound depends equally from the context it is presented in than from its source, thus the quality of the sound depends on the care that is put into its contextualisation and its rendition.
How would you describe the relationship to your instrument?
The percussion is an instrument of multiple identities, cultures, material and techniques. It is everything and nothing in particular. Because of that, the percussionist is constantly confronted to new situations, she/he must adapt. This is the basis of my relationship to the instrument. The partnership of the percussionist and his/her instrument is based on adaptability.
What instrument has yet to be invented?
A device whose use is collective and whose activation depends on the establishment of a group consensus.