ABOUT
ALL LIVE
Many Cello Layers
Recorded and Repeated
The wide tonal range of Wytold’s six-string electric cello peaked his interest in the concept of live-looping, which he had first discovered listening to Andrew Bird and Zoe Keating. In live-looping, a solo musician records and layers parts of a song in real time, creating the effect of multiple musicians playing together. In many of Wytold’s compositions, he builds a rich string ensemble sound by sequentially playing, recording, and looping each cello layer live, allowing the audience to experience the music as it unfolds.
With practice, Wytold became more comfortable live-looping while accompanied by other musicians. His song structures grew increasingly complex as he tried to avoid the feel of ‘just one big build’ on the loop pedal. Instead, he weaves quickly back and forth among verses, choruses, bridges, and key changes piece by piece so the looping process doesn’t become overly repetitive for the listener.
Eventually Wytold envisioned looping structures and manipulations that were not possible with his pedals, and he began using Ableton Live software to control and program more complicated looping arrangements. For example, the computer can pull out one layer from a verse and blend it with one layer from the chorus of a song, while also smoothly chopping one of those layers in half and automating volume level and panning changes throughout. Each of these operations would be difficult to manage with one’s feet on a standard loop pedal.
By programming the computer to do these things automatically, Wytold can focus on his musical expressions and feeling and less on pressing the right sequence of pedals with his feet. In some cases, such as the original score he wrote for the modern dance piece “Pöhaku” with Christopher K. Morgan & Artists, Wytold does not press any looping commands with his feet; instead, the looping arrangement is entirely pre-programmed in Ableton. Wytold’s mathematical background helps him visualize his different cello layers when programming, composing and performing in this way.
ELECTRIC. ACOUSTIC. CLASSICAL. MODERN.
