for creating the poem no. 12, "ss nila" "recorded at orf-studios, vienna" (listen to the annexed cd), ide went to the studio and produced some sounds in front of the microphone – consonants and vowels. afterwards, he picked some of these sounds and computed them. according to him, the interesting thing is only the composition method: introducing a phrase and repeating it, adding or leaving something out, repeating again. what i also find interesting is the material he uses for this composition, namely the following consonants and vowels: the voiceless palato-alveolar sibilant [_], the close back rounded vowel [u], the sonant lateral alveolar [l] – which are repeated several times. the group [ss nila], which gives the title of the poem, includes the voiceless post-alveolar sibilant [s], the nasal alveolar [n], the very short close front vowel [i], again the liquid [l], and a short uttering of the near-front open vowel [a]. two other sounds that are introduced in the second part of the poem are the close central vowel [u], uttered together with the vibrating alveolar consonant [r]. what these speech sounds have in common is: the place of articulation (the speech organs that are involved) - alveolar (tongue against the gum ridge) for all the consonants involved; moreover, three out of the four vowels used are close, which means the tongue has an upper position as well. almost all the consonants are voiced - [r], [l], [n] – so the vocal cords are vibrating when uttered; the other two consonants, [s] and [_], are voiceless, but they are fricative sibilants, meaning that they force the air out through a narrow channel and the tongue directs it over the edge of the teeth.
the group of sounds [ll u l] and [s nila] compose the “body” of the poem, while the sounds [_] and [r] are rather functioning like refrains. they all give the impression of a dialogue in an asiatic language, with short, explosive words and firm gestures. moreover, due to the alveolar [l], which sounds like a short blow, and to the fricative [_], always uttered alone, reminding of a fast karate move, they create the image of an elegant battle between two samurais, with precise moves and beautiful, dangerous gestures.
(denisa mirena piscu, literary theorist, on ide's poem "ss nilla" from the album "[ampf]", cd 2000. master thesis on "sound poetry - three sound poets trying to escape the abusive domination of word: henri chopin, sainkho namtchylak, christian ide hintze", written in english language. university of bucarest, rumania, february 2009)
for creating the poem no. 12, "ss nila" "recorded at orf-studios, vienna" (listen to the annexed cd), ide went to the studio and produced some sounds in front of the microphone – consonants and vowels. afterwards, he picked some of these sounds and computed them. according to him, the interesting thing is only the composition method: introducing a phrase and repeating it, adding or leaving something out, repeating again. what i also find interesting is the material he uses for this composition, namely the following consonants and vowels: the voiceless palato-alveolar sibilant [_], the close back rounded vowel [u], the sonant lateral alveolar [l] – which are repeated several times. the group [ss nila], which gives the title of the poem, includes the voiceless post-alveolar sibilant [s], the nasal alveolar [n], the very short close front vowel [i], again the liquid [l], and a short uttering of the near-front open vowel [a]. two other sounds that are introduced in the second part of the poem are the close central vowel [u], uttered together with the vibrating alveolar consonant [r]. what these speech sounds have in common is: the place of articulation (the speech organs that are involved) - alveolar (tongue against the gum ridge) for all the consonants involved; moreover, three out of the four vowels used are close, which means the tongue has an upper position as well. almost all the consonants are voiced - [r], [l], [n] – so the vocal cords are vibrating when uttered; the other two consonants, [s] and [_], are voiceless, but they are fricative sibilants, meaning that they force the air out through a narrow channel and the tongue directs it over the edge of the teeth.
the group of sounds [ll u l] and [s nila] compose the “body” of the poem, while the sounds [_] and [r] are rather functioning like refrains. they all give the impression of a dialogue in an asiatic language, with short, explosive words and firm gestures. moreover, due to the alveolar [l], which sounds like a short blow, and to the fricative [_], always uttered alone, reminding of a fast karate move, they create the image of an elegant battle between two samurais, with precise moves and beautiful, dangerous gestures.
(denisa mirena piscu, literary theorist, on ide's poem "ss nilla" from the album "[ampf]", cd 2000. master thesis on "sound poetry - three sound poets trying to escape the abusive domination of word: henri chopin, sainkho namtchylak, christian ide hintze", written in english language. university of bucarest, rumania, february 2009)