Pluralis majestatis
by Leif Elggren


From the exhibition "Pluralis majestatis" by L.E. at Andréhn-Schiptjenko gallery, Stockholm, December 1994.

Photo by Annika von Hausswolff.

Recorded at Fylkingen, Stockholm, June 23-25, 1997.

Adapted and mastered at Firework Edition, Stockholm, July 1997.









Sound clip

The basic sound source is the metal bed displayed in the cover photo (along with contact microphones, a PA-system, and 102 tin-can crowns). For this piece I had in mind to work with this bed, to try to squeeze out, to discover, a certain "voice" or a sound, and let it go. I made some preparations and created a situation for the bed and the sound equipment, got it started and let it run for approximately one hour.

It went its own way, it had its own life, and that is the point for me: Start it up and let it take its own direction, create its own life, its own voice, let it take over. I did not have any aesthetic plans for the sound, no compositional aspects, I just wanted to be open for what could happen, like a conversation.

My work is very much an ongoing project, things are done and correspond to other things and vice versa. It´s a big structure where all phenomena are closely related to each other and where the total image depends on every small part there is. Pluralis majestatis is the third and final piece in a trilogy. It is preceded by "Flown over by an Old King" (Radium 226.05 1988) and "Talking to a Dead Queen" (Fylkingen Records 1996)."