Jamie Hamilton

Composer & Sound Artist

Moire Pattern (2012)

For ‘cello and resonator

Heterodyning is the process by which two sine waves, tuned closely to one another, can generate new frequencies and rhythms which are the result of interference between these waves. This is normally heard as ‘beating’.

“Moire Pattern“ is applying this process to the ‘cello. The ‘cello is resonated by a transducer, turning its body into a loudspeaker. Using this method, a single sinewave is played. Against this sine-wave, the ‘cellist is carefully listening and tempering their playing; adjusting their intonation in microscopic intervals. Through doing this, they are trying to create rhythmic patterns arising from the interference of their ‘cello and the sine-wave. Both the performer and the audience are able to perceive a sensitivity to pitch and intonation which would be otherwise impossible.

A Moire Pattern is an interference pattern created when two grids are overlaid at an angle.



First performed by Lucy Railton at London Topophobia 5, 14th November 2013.
Performed by Anton Lukoszevieze at Laura Bartlett Gallery, London, 6th November 2014; and Eric Moore in 2016.