Ceci n’est pas une… is an acousmatic piece made entirely with the sounds of smoking a pipe. It is a piece of a cycle that take inspiration from painters and their famous paintings. This one refers do Ceci n’es pas une pipe (1928-1929), from René Magritte (1898-1967). With this painting Magritte delves in the para-language and semiotics of the image. In this case, the painting is not a pipe, hence the expression “this is not a pipe”.

With this piece, the sounds take the listener in the same process has looking at the painting from Magritte. The sounds are not the pipe, they are made by the act of smoking and using the pipe. For the ones who aren’t familiarized with these sounds, the acousmatic distance will be furthered. The other way around, for the smokers specially the ones who smokes a pipe, will be familiarized with these sounds.

Some of the sounds will be more familiar to everyone. Several brands of lighters, matches with several inhales and exhales. All of these sounds are all around us and most of the time we don’t realize it. They have another meaning with the context of smoking. From the perspective of a smoker who his a musician, often one without knowing, use strange rhythms while thumping, cleaning and lightening the pipe. This piece develops that notion and the nerve racking moment when you can’t find anything to lit your pipe or cigar. None of this represents or by any meaning, the approval of smoking habits. By any means, it does the opposite. Smoking is a nasty addiction, witch is represented through out the piece in a cathartic vein. This piece was composed and presented during the International Electroacoustic Composition Masterclass with Åke Parmerud in Lisboa Incomum.

Source: 2023