The Arecibo Message (2015) for strings and electronics
I. three hundred thousand stars
II. going back to the source

Performed by
Philip Santos – violins
Julia Adams – violas
Joseph Hébert – cellos
Aaron Shaul – basses

Recorded and produced by Nick Vasallo

PROGRAM NOTES
I. There is something frighteningly beautiful about being surrounded by a huge globular cluster of stars. The signal we sent in 1974 was to the M13 globular.

II. Imagine tracing back the Arecibo Message 25,000 light years back to the source (Earth). It’s like seeing generations upon generations of photocopies rewinding to the original. This movement starts with the 10th generation of a 32-second musical section. Each generation has undergone the same effects of being recorded and played back in a concert hall setting. It slowly evolves from resonant harmonies and tones into the actual source unaltered. This is essentially the reverse process of Lucier’s work.