Biography

Educated at Sheffield University and the University of North Texas, Matthew Sansom completed his PhD under Eric Clarke in 1997. During his doctoral research he fell under the influences of Sheffield’s club culture and electronic music scene on the one hand, and its free and improvised music scene, on the other. A heady mix of free improvisation, DJing, musicology, samplers, clubbing and psychology forged a diverse range of interests and skills. Matthew’s research crosses several areas including: composition, installation art, improvisation, and theories of creativity, musical meaning and popular culture.

As a composer and artist in the area of electronic music production and sound design, his work covers a broad range from beat-based electronica to installation pieces. Recent works, in contrast to his groove-based output, have explored a more direct and transparent use of sound sources (e.g. football crowds, radio broadcasts, factory sounds, location recordings). Having originally trained as a saxophonist, live performance remains an important activity for Matthew. Work in this area explores combinations of improvisation, DJ and studio skills, and live electronics. Collaborative projects with artists from the visual arts, dance and theatre are central to Matthew’s practice. His work has been performed internationally, including the Centre for Contemporary Arts (Glasgow), Korean Institute of Culture (Seoul), and t-u-b-egalerie für radiophone kunst installationen und audio-performances (Munich). Areas of theoretical interest include musical meaning and identity, and their the relationship with technology and culture.

Matthew has taught at Leeds College of Music, University of Sheffield, University of Derby, and was for four years Programme Director for the BMus in Contemporary and Popular Music at Newcastle University.

www.matthewsansom.com

Research Interests

Free Improvisation

Phonography / Soundscape Studies

Sound Art

Improvised Electronic Performance Practice

Popular Music

Publications

INSTALLATIONS AND EXHIBITIONS

Mêtis: performance installation, commission for 2011 Guildford International Music Festival; St Mary’s Church,  Guildford, Surrey, UK (March 2011).

     Further performances:

• The New Stage, National Theatre of Prague, CZ; part of 2011 Prague Quadrennial of Performance and Design (June 2011)
• Školská 28: Communication Space, Prague, CZ; part of Thresholds Exhibition series (June 2011)
• Phonography Colloquium, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK (July 2011)
• ICA, London, UK; part of Re/Flux: Sublimated Landscape, curated by Helen Frosi, Soundfjord Gallery (July 2011)
• Polytechno, Corfu & The Wheatstore, Old Fortress, Corfu, GR; part of 2011 International Conference of the World Forum for Acoustic Ecology (October 2011)

spirit redux: sound installation based on the symphonies of Gustav Mahler, commission for the Lewis Elton Gallery, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK. Gustav Mahler Centenary Conference, University of Surrey, in conjunction with an exhibition of paintings by Caroline Tate. (July 2011)

Sounding Out Liverpool: sculptural installation, commission for Liverpool City Council as part of Liverpool Discovers; St. James’ Mount, The Anglican Cathedral, Liverpool, UK. (February-March 2011)

colne valley listeners: permanent sculptural installation and audiowalk, commission for Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival & River Colne Sculpture Trail; Rotcher Picnic Site, Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire, UK (November 2008)

Kings Place Sound Collage: installation/performance hybrid commission for the Society for the Promotion of New Music; Opening Festival, Kings Place, Kings Cross, London UK (October 2008)

sacred place: sound installation for St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace, London, UK (June 2008)

Southerndown Beach: soundscape commission for Listening Shell designed by Dodi Nash; Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK (December 2007 – February 2008)

Heardhere: sound installation and audiowalk, commission for Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival; Media Centre Gallery, Huddersfield, UK (November 2007)

solutio: sound installation, commission for 2007 Guildford International Music Festival; Guildford Cathedral, Surrey, UK (March 2007); Atrium Sound Space, The College of Santa Fey, NM USA (December 2007 – January 2008)

The Sun of Tabriz: installation, mixed media and sound. GeoPhonoBox, group exhibition curated by Zoe Asta & Rob Danielson; Around the Coyote Gallery, Chicago, USA (March 2007)

Vital Organs: audio-visual installation. SoundImageSound IV (Music Beyond Performance), Conservatory of Music, University of the Pacific, California, USA (November 2006); and Lewis Elton Gallery, University of Surrey, UK (March 2007)

Location recordings from London and Istanbul: 2006 Venice Architecture Biennale, used in the 10th International Architecture Exhibition ‘Cities, Architecture and Society’ curated by Richard Burdett, Corderie dell’Arsenale, ITALY (September – November 2006)

Unsilently: group exhibition of sound art, curated by Ven Voisey; Contemporary Artists Centre, North Adams MA, USA (Sept-Oct 2005)

lumen naturae: sound installation, commission for Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire UK, (June 2004); St. Nicholas’ Cathedral, Tyne & Wear, UK (June 2004); and Guildford Cathedral, UK (March 2009)

Last 30mins: sound installation with Jim Harold; Reg Vardy Gallery, Sunderland, UK (Oct 2003); Centre for Contemporary Art, Glasgow, UK (Jan 2004)

RETIME: cross media group exhibition with Meri Blazeski, Joel Fisher, Chris Jones, Kyung-Hee Lee, Daniel Von Sturmer, Yong-Son Suh, Andy Thomson, Maarten Van Volsem, and Tanya Eccleston. Curated and coordinated by Andy Thomson;Korean Institute of Culture, Korea University in Seoul, South Korea (July 2003)

muraiki: sound installation with Wolfgang Weileder; t-u-b-e galerie, Munich, Germany (February 2002)

SELECTED COMPOSITIONS

Muraqabah: electroacoustic composition selected by the Society for the Promotion of New Music for the 2005-8 shortlist (2005)

Up In the Air: electroacoustic composition, honorary mention, ‘Broadcasting Art: Globos Sonda / Trial Balloons’ Sound Art Competition, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Castilla y León, SPAIN (September 2006

Two Toy Pianos and Harp: electroacoustic composition made in collaboration with Rhodri Davies, competition winner, The Extensible Toy Piano Project Festival, Razzo Recital Hall, Clark University, Worcester, MA USA (Nov 4-5, 2005)

On Remembrance: solo piano commission for Clive Williamson, ‘One Minute Wonders’ concert, 2005 Guilford International Music Festival (March 2005), score & CD recording published by Cadenza (2006)

SELECTED LIVE PERFORMANCES

Duo: laptop and harp, live electronics performance with Rhodri Davies, Kings Hall, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK (February 2008)

Trio: laptop with electric harp & guitar, live electronics performance with Rhodri Davies & Ross Lambert; The Shunt Vaults, London Bridge, UK (June 2007)

Duo: laptop and saxophone, live electronics performance with John Butcher; PATS Studio 1, University of Surrey, UK (April 2007)

Vibra Add: laptop and tam tam, live electronics performance with Mark Walstall; PATS Studio 1, University of Surrey, UK (April 2006)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream: live electronic score with sound-diffusion commission for Buxton Opera House; The Devonshire Dome, Buxton, Derbyshire, UK (November 2005)

SOUNDTRACKS AND SOUND DESIGN

Twelfth Night: sound-design and music commission for Buxton Opera House; The Devonshire Dome, Buxton, Derbyshire, UK (October 2007)

The Blessed Tree: original music for documentary film; 10,000 Films (September 2009)

house-birmingham: soundtrack commission for Wolfgang Weileder's film-short; IKON Gallery, Birmingham (June), shown at various international film festivals including INTERFILM, Berlin; Impakt, Utrecht; Recontres internationales Paris/Berlin 2005, Paris, France; Tampere 36th International Short Film Festival 2006, Finland (2005-6)

PRESENTATIONS

“Experimentalism & Spirituality: esoteric tendencies”, International Symposium on Experimental Music, Coventry University, UK (September 25-26, 2010)

“Improvisation & Identity: a Qualitative Study”, Guelph Jazz Festival & Colloquium, Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Guelph, Ontario, CANADA. (September 6-10, 2006)

“Free Improvisation in Theory and Practice”, PALATINE Improvisation Pedagogy Study Day, Leeds College of Music, UK (May 10, 2006)

“The Construction and Representation of Identity within Freely Improvised Music”, Representation in Music / Musical Representation, Istanbul Technical University, Turkish Music State Conservatory, TURKEY. (October 6-9, 2005)

“The Relationship between Theory and Creative Practice”, Research Seminar, University of Surrey, UK. (March, 2005)

“Understanding Musical Meaning: Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis and Improvisation”, British Forum for Ethnomusicology Annual Conference – ‘Music & Dance Performance: Cross-Cultural Approaches’, SOAS, London, UK. (April 12-15, 2005)

“The Creative Use of Contemporary Music Technology”, Research Seminar, University of Surrey, UK. (March, 2004)

“Dialogue and Imagination in Creativity: reflections on the imagination in creative musical experience”, Creativity in Question Conference, Queen Margaret University College, Edinburgh. (March, 2002)

“Sampling, Narrative and Creativity”, Research Seminar, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. (November, 2000)

“Writing ‘choons’ and Popular Music Practice”, Research Seminar, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. (March, 2000)

“Jungle DJs: Valuing Music in Dance Culture”, Dance Culture Conference, University of Leeds, UK. (June, 1998)

“A Psychoanalytical Approach to Understanding Improvisation”, Society for Research into Psychology of Music and Music Education Annual Conference, University of Leicester, UK. (1995)

PUBLISHED PAPERS

“Improvisation & Identity: a Qualitative Study” in Critical Studies in Improvisation/Études critiques en improvisation, Vol. 3, No 1. 2007

“Imaging Music: Abstract Expressionism & Free Improvisation” in The Leonardo Music Journal, MIT Press, Vol. 11, 2001

DISCOGRAPHY

Last 30mins. Altvinyl av-012, 2009, Lathe Cut 11" Limited Edition, UK. With Jim Harold

Live Uncut Vol. 1. Absurd, A Question Of Re-Entry #6, 2008, CDr, GR. With Rhodri Davies

Sacralizing Space: Location Recordings From The Blue Mosque. Wandering Ear, we002, 2006, mp3 download.

Air EP. matthewsansom.bandcamp.com, bc005, 2006, mp3 download.    

Delhi Meditation. matthewsansom.bandcamp.com, bc003, 2004, mp3 download.    

Feature on:

One Minute Wonders. Cadenza Music, CACD0612, 2009, CD, UK.                                 

Network: Volume Two - 54 Music Miniatures. Discus, 5CD, 1995, CD, UK.

As Producer:

Mark Wastell, Amoungst English Men - For Piano, Tam Tam And Tubular Bell. absinthRecords, absinthRecords012II, 2008, CD, DE.

Teaching

Undergraduate

HE1: Creating Music with Computers 1; Electronic Music 1

HE2: Creating Music with Computers 2; Free Improvisation: Theory & Practice

HE3: Creating Music with Computers Portfolio; Soundscape Studies

Postgraduate

Supervision of studio-based creative practice and composition (MMus & PhD)

Departmental Duties

Programme Director

BMus (Hons) Creative Music Technology