Oro

Peter Hobbs | Horomona Horo

Available to DOWNLOAD or as a PRINT-ON-DEMAND CD

This album was recorded during a live performance of the collaborative dance work Oro at TAPAC, April 2021

Peter Hobbs (modular synthesiser)
Horomona Horo (ngā taonga pūoro)

Oro: to resound, echo, resonate

Oro is an intimate art installation performance work, a reflective collaborative exploration into the Maramataka Māori inspired by Tohu Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director Moss Te Ururangi Patterson’s discussions with kaumatua about the Maori calendar. Oro aligns knowledge of lunar phases with choreography, architectural staging, visuals and live musical composition. Through this collaborative understanding, Peter and Horomona improvised (and recorded) the music on this album live in performance to create a compelling combination of traditional organic and synthetic instruments in a powerful, quadraphonic experiential setting.

The moon’s influence on us all is represented musically by the theme of tidal ebb and flow and the sounds of waves. Lunar gravity along with the celestial dance of our earth, moon and sun create the rhythmic ebb and flow of tides and also create subtle changes of energy around us - both of which are explored musically. This performance also uses wave recordings to provide subtle tonal changes, manipulating and modulating the modular synthesiser as Peter and Horomona weave their sounds into an emotive otherworldly experience.

“We had discussions with all the artists about what we were trying to create together, and discussions with individual choreographers about the tone and feelings of particular sections of Oro. It was important to keep all the music and sound entirely live so nothing was pre-recorded or sequenced and there were no overdubs. Horomona and I had never played together before so it was a matter of trusting each other to go on this explorative sonic journey together while keeping a feel for the work as a whole.” - Peter Hobbs

Performed by Peter Hobbs and Horomona Horo
Produced by Peter Hobbs
Mastered by Angus McNaughton at Auralux Mastering
Cover art by Puck Murphy
Designed by UnkleFranc
Printing by Studio Q

SEVENTH HOUSE MUSIC Vol 4

The Seventh House Music series champions artists who unapologetically follow their muse free of commercial or generic confines. It serves as a platform for works that are collaborative and improvisatory, music discovered in the process of being formed.

Released: 21 October 2021
Catalogue: RAT-D119

PETER HOBBS

Peter is a composer who creates evocative soundtracks for feature films, documentaries, experiential installations and contemporary dance shows for which he has won numerous national and international awards. He has spent the last few years exploring the intersection of modular synthesis and the sound of the world around us and is currently studying for a Masters in Environment Sound Art. He describes himself as a diehard advocate for the spaces between the notes.

www.harmonicstudio.com

HOROMONA HORO

As a composer and practitioner of taonga pūoro, Horomona plays and handles the full spectrum of the instruments with measured skill. His historical and cultural understanding of taonga pūoro was passed on to him by his mentors, Dr Hirini Melbourne and Dr Richard Nunns, two of the people credited with the revival of the art form.

Whether performing solo or in collaboration, Horomona's extensive knowledge of style and process has led him to become the leading Māori representative of taonga pūoro at home and abroad.

www.horomonahoro.com