Episode 128 Zack Settel (Walk Through Music)
Summary
In this episode of the Immersive Audio Podcast, Oliver Kadel and Monica Bolles are joined by musician, composer, creative technologist, and founder of Walk Through Music, Zack Settel from Montreal, Canada. We explore Zack’s journey through IRCAM, La SAT, and McGill University’s CIRMMT, and discuss his work in spatial audio spanning more than three decades. The conversation takes a deep dive into the topic of six degrees of freedom audio for music, examining both the creative and technical challenges of truly interactive listening experiences.
Zack Settel started playing and writing music early on, studying classical piano and electronic music, and performing in rock and jazz groups. He received a BFA in Music Composition from the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts), where he studied composition with Mortons Subotnick and Feldman. In 1986, Settel went to work at the Institute for Research and the Coordination of Acoustics and Music (IRCAM), headed by Pierre Boulez, where he remained until 1995, composing and working in music production and research. From 1997-1999, Settel was an assistant professor at McGill University, where he chaired the Music Technology area. Focusing on immersive audio in 2004, Settel began a five-year research/creation collaboration with McGill’s Centre for Intelligent Machines (CIM), during which he realised several creations, while co-directing advanced degree students. From 2003-2008, Settel founded and directed the immersive audio research group at the Societé des Arts Technologiques (La SAT), where he remains a resident artist and researcher in immersive audio and music. In addition to his research and creation activities, Settel teaches at the Arts and Science faculty at the University of Montreal (UdM), where he offers master-level courses in immersive audiovisual arts.
Settel has composed chamber and studio works as well as music for film, video, television, theatre, dance, and opera. His music also includes the use of live interactive electroacoustic technologies. Since 2008, Settel has used mixed-reality environments to create and present experiences in immersive audiovisual music. Settel’s music is published by Editions Ambrioso (Paris), recorded on the CENTAUR, ICMA, MIT Press, and Empreints Digitales labels, and is performed regularly in North/South America and in Europe and Asia. Settel has worked with various performing ensembles, including the Ensemble Intercontemporain (Paris), Le Nouvel Ensemble Moderne (Montréal), Zeitgeist (Minneapolis), the California Ear Unit (Los Angeles), Chants Libres (Montréal), and Quasar Saxophone Ensemble (Montrèal).
Show Notes
Zack Settel’s Presentation and Credits
Earthlight World: An Astronaut’s Journey
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Credits
This episode was produced by Oliver Kadel and Emma Rees and included music by Rhythm Scott.
