Tune in to this Wednesday's Afternoon New Music to hear an interview with Kate Olson and Naomi Siegel of the improvisational chamber duo, the Syrinx Effect. Olson (saxophone) and Siegel (trombone) manipulate the natural resonances of their instruments and use a variety of electronic effects to create atmospheric compositions that push the limits of their instruments. We were able to sit down with them to talk about the history of the band and where they hope to take their music in the future. Listen!
The Syrinx Effect is a duo project created by Naomi Siegel and Kate Olson that consists of trombone, soprano saxophone, and effects. Like our namesake, the “voice box” of birds, we create two separate resonations, high and low, and allow them to interact with our environment.
We connect to each other creatively because we want to make music that is authentic, expressive, and comes from the heart. We are interested in simple folk melodies that reach people in the audience on a visceral level, but also the full spectrum of sound, noise, and ambient atmospheres. We love to explore what we’re capable of sonically. We compose concurrently and weave aleatoric material into pre-determined musical pathways. The Syrinx Effect is also a vehicle for artistic collaboration. Due to our instrumentation, we fit well as a unit inside other ensembles, adapting our sound to the atmosphere of the project. We have collaborated with Jason Levis (Berlin-based drummer and composer), Wayne Horvitz and Sweeter Than the Day, Rene Hart and the Honey Ear Trio, and hope to
engage with many more artists in the future. We hope that people who hear us play can leave the future and the past in their respective locations and focus on the present. Each piece is a meditation, an exploration,
and sometimes a romp. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but the creation of music is a life or death undertaking (no pun intended).
We connect to each other creatively because we want to make music that is authentic, expressive, and comes from the heart. We are interested in simple folk melodies that reach people in the audience on a visceral level, but also the full spectrum of sound, noise, and ambient atmospheres. We love to explore what we’re capable of sonically. We compose concurrently and weave aleatoric material into pre-determined musical pathways. The Syrinx Effect is also a vehicle for artistic collaboration. Due to our instrumentation, we fit well as a unit inside other ensembles, adapting our sound to the atmosphere of the project. We have collaborated with Jason Levis (Berlin-based drummer and composer), Wayne Horvitz and Sweeter Than the Day, Rene Hart and the Honey Ear Trio, and hope to
engage with many more artists in the future. We hope that people who hear us play can leave the future and the past in their respective locations and focus on the present. Each piece is a meditation, an exploration,
and sometimes a romp. We don’t take ourselves too seriously, but the creation of music is a life or death undertaking (no pun intended).