Yashas Shetty »Approximation of the Sea«

Residency initiative »bangaloREsidency-Expanded« | Concert


[05.03.2022]


Yashas Shetty »Approximation of the Sea«
(2020 – 22), for tanpura, piano and electronics, 30’


The ‘drone’ influences Western minimalism for almost 60 years
now. Beyond its influence on Western classical music, its
presence has extended into popular music as well, with early
bands such as The Velvet Underground to some German Krautrock
groups borrowing heavily from the concept of the drone. Its
influence reaches deep into popular music and culture of today.
Yet, the historical narrative of the drone has always been a one
way street. It is a story told by American composers in which the
early origins of this transfer of technology are shrouded in
mythology and mystification.


»Approximation of the Sea«, developed by sound artist Yashas
Shetty in collaboration with ZKM | Hertz-Lab sound engineer
Benjamin Miller for tanpura, piano, and electronics, explores
both the technical and aesthetic challenges of composing with
surround systems. It is designed especially for the ZKM_Cube. The
piece in itself extends from Shetty's ongoing research into the
history of encounters between Western composers and Indian
artists in the 20th Century and is rooted in his broader artistic
practice of extracting histories from mythologies.