A few years ago, my wife helped a neighbor by finding a craftsman who could restore his badly damaged violin. We visited our neighbor when the work was done, and after admiring the restoration, he asked us if we’d like to see what he did for a living. Turning on his computer, he revealed screen after screen of colorful stock charts used in the technical analysis of the markets. The visual and dynamic representation of the market was strange to me, but I instantly became addicted to the squiggles: a primary tool for the stock trader looked like a musical score to me. I spent the next three years pouring over market analysis texts, both standard and arcane. Having no money to trade, but lots of music to write, I was more interested in the method than the madness.

This music follows the contours of the spot gold market as defined by the twice-dailyLondon Fix. I used the 12 monthly price charts of 2002 to animate an electronic pitch-making system of my own design, mapping the charts to control individual pitch possibilities, range, and even portamento (perhaps a slight nod to the violin). This system allowed me to dynamically accumulate pitch sets from thresholds crossed by chart information. Facilitated by Michael J. Schumacher’s computer programming, I used the historical chart data once again in order to control the presentation of material both in a linear and recursive fashion, resulting in sonic fluctuations that compress and superimpose time in a way that discourages any literal interpretation. This was originally presented as a multi-channel sound installation.

Tom Hamilton (USA) has composed and performed electronic music for over 30 years. In 2004, Hamilton was awarded a fellowship from the Civitella Ranieri Foundation. Other awards include a programming residency at Engine 27, New York, a Golden Ears award from Absolute Sound magazine, and a nomination for the Alpert/CalArts Award in Music. An active participant in New York’s new music scene, Hamilton is the co-director of the 2004 Three Point Festival.