Extending Instruments with Live Algorithms in a Percussion / Code Duo

Hession/McLean is a free improvising duo that confounds the usual classifications of musical genres. Hession has worked mostly within the jazz and free improvisation scenes and is now exploring working with live electronics and McLean has developed an improvised approach to electronic music, largely within dance-oriented genres, via live coding. In this duo Hession's drum set is extended using both analogue and digital technology, and McLean works as a live coder, writing software to generate music during a performance. This paper provides context for this collaboration, focussing on the development of Hession's practice, and his associated research programme; in particular the role of live algorithm techniques in providing a surrogate playing partner, combined with analogue technology inspired by the pioneering work of percussionist Tony Oxley. The focus is on the musical considerations at play, and how live algorithms may sit within a melange of physical, analogue and digital technology, and within gesural/instrumental and symbolic/linguistic approaches to improvisation.