Introduction to Issue #3

The early 21st century is the most auspicious time yet for composing spatial electroacoustic music. Custom-built spaces from the second half of the 20th century continue to fascinate, such as the Philips Pavilion built for the World’s Fair 1958, and the spherical concert hall built for the Osaka World Expo 1970. The development of spatialisation software continues apace, including techniques such as Ambisonics, VBAP, Spat, Wave Field Synthesis, and facilitation software such as SSR and Zirconium, in addition to more specialised composer-designed spatialisation tools. Perhaps most important is the increasing presence of performance spaces supporting the creation and playback of electronic music over large numbers of speakers, such as the ZKM Klangdom, the SARC Sonic Lab, and the Virginia Tech Cube.

This issue of Divergence Press provides a range of technical and aesthetic perspectives on the creation and perception of contemporary spatial electroacoustic music.