
2015 / Electronic
DURATION
3 minutes, 45 seconds
- Fifty-Ninth Index (rough mix) Frank Horvat & Jean-Luc Nancy 03:45
Programme Notes
I composed this electronic piece as my contribution to the online arts project 58 (+1) INDICES ON THE BODY, a collaboration between the AMAE Art Collective, artist Pier Giorgio De Pinto, and philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy. The project invited composers to create works based on the 58 (+1) indices found in Nancy’s 2006 text 58 indices sur le corps. Each index explores aspects of the human body, with composers encouraged to select one to set to music. Naturally, I chose the “+1”—the one that resonated with me the most.
What drew me in was Nancy’s colorless, almost detached reading style, particularly his description of human sexuality. While the text presents many obvious facts, it also reminds us of the joy and vitality inherent in being a sexual being. Nancy even uses the word soul to describe the pleasure and delight that sexuality can bring—a concept I’d never considered before.
In a world where conversations around sexuality remain often taboo or stigmatized, Nancy’s objective and unflinching approach was, to me, a breath of fresh air. In composing this piece, I aimed to mirror both the tone and the content of his writing. To do so, I employed interwoven electronic loops to create a throbbing, pulsating effect, building gradually toward a climax that parallels the unfolding of his words in the middle of the piece. My hope was that the music would reflect the depth and complexity of Nancy’s reflections on human sexuality, while respecting his unique way of describing it.
– Frank Horvat