Human Drum was a collaboration with the Juice Vocal Ensemble. The piece began in the recording studio where I recorded Juice singing notated fragments I’d popped together and also their own improvisations. I then edited and cut up all the audio into very tiny fragments in a myriad of ways to make a short rhythm-based electronic 3 part vocal piece. This forms part of my larger work Voices of the Asylum for voices, human beatbox, electronics, fashion and space.

The final track bares very little resemblance to the original recording studio session. Several weeks after I had finished Human Drum Juice asked me to transcribe the audio so they could sing the piece live (which wasn’t easy to do after all the cutting and processing!), therefore coming full circle! There are now two versions of Human Drum, the studio electronic track and the ‘live’ notated version. Human Drum is dedicated to the Juice Vocal Ensemble with affection.

First performed by Juice Vocal Ensemble on 3rd May 2007 at York Spring Festival, Sir Jack Lyons Concert Hall, University of York.