Whirlpool

1. Voyager II was launched August 20, 1977 from Cape Canaveral by NASA. Its primary mission is to make scientific observations of Jupiter, Saturn and Uranus. In 1989, Voyager will pass by Neptune; in 46,230 A.D., it will pass the constellation Ursa Minor; and about 149,380 A.D., it will pass the constellation Sagittarius.
Attached to the exterior of the spacecraft with titanium bolts is an aluminium case protecting a porcelain cartridge, a diamond stylus, and a copper phonograph record sprayed with gold. Engraved on the cover are instructions in scientific language on how to play the record. The package is designed to last one billion years. This record, the secondary part of the mission, is an introduction to human life on earth. It includes: 116 pictures (in electronic form) of diagrams, equations, drawings, and photographs; greetings in 60 languages; 36 short excerpts of sounds of activity on earth; and 27 pieces (or excerpts) of music. It is possible that at some point on its indefinite journey another spacefaring civilization may intercept Voyager and decipher the record...

3. Whirlpool results from the pleasure of imagining someone encountering the 27 excerpts of music on the voyager record for the first time. How will they listen? It also results from the need to mark Voyager, to celebrate it. For Whirlpool, i selected eight pieces of music. These selections were made in the same spirit as the Voyager selections -a valuing of diversity of earth music. I perform the same 2-part listening activity with each piece. First, the piece is distilled into a set of key fragments (by tape editing). These fragments are expositioned separated by short periods of silence. Second, the fragments are set in motion in a 2-channel collage. The intent of the collage is to use (play) the fragments as a way to get to know them, and in turn, to know the original piece.