Iannis Xenakis, Mutants, Orchestras, were all things that had been preying heavily on my mind in the months leading up to this composition. The Legend of Oscar... deals with each one of these influences by forcing them together and making them deal with each other. A diverse range of source sounds are used in this piece, from oboe multiphonics to excerpts from Beethoven's Egmont Overture, loud bangs to quotes from Formalised Music by Iannis Xenakis. These sounds are mutated heavily, and the result is a giant stew of timbre and textures. The sounds are merged together in unnatural partnerships which can reach critical mass at any moment in time, resulting in a nervous tension of almost neurotic proportions.
I would like to thank John McKelvie and Oscar (the oboe) for creating such interesting source sounds...