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Paul Ramshaw is a musician, composer, artist, educator and technical consultant.

Electro-Acoustic: Emotive-Ambient

paul ramshaw -performing

Since the 1970’s Paul has created and performed  music in many styles and contexts. Until December 2010 Paul was a senior lecturer at the London College of Music University of West London, where he lectured on sound design and experimental sound.

Using film sound theory to deconstruct methods of emotive sound manipulation used in film and tv ads, Paul developed a university course for teaching students how to understand how sound design is used for emotional effect in a way that is additional to other layers such as dialogue, foley and actual music, then to analyse, learn and finally create their own specifically purposed sound for film or other media.
In his creative practice Paul began to compose electro-acoustic music using techniques he had developed for emotive sound design, but without a film, or dialogue or other elements present. This resulted in his original process for creating emotionally charged sound over time that resembles orchestral music but is almost entirely created using sound from operatic performance.
This form of music comprises electro-acoustic composition and performance using orchestral and operatic acoustic sources as well as environmental recordings.  In many cases two different sources are processed and recompiled into many complementary parts, or from few voices into many.  Ephemeral drones and textures are created using micro-samples of melodic and harmonic phrases from the live orchestral and operatic vocal sources.  The music is intended to elicit changing emotional but also ambient contexts and is also intended for ‘active listening’ rather than in the background.

Live performances frequently involve two ends of a spectrum: classical opera and electro-acoustic orchestral processing that creates an output of both that overlap and juxtapose elements into what Paul calls ’emotive-ambient’.

Paul also works with music and sound design that interface with visual installations and projections.

In August 2007 Paul was named as  Sound and Music ‘shortlisted composer’. View the SAM video interview of Paul  on the British Music Collection website.

Collaboration and Commission

Collaborations and commissions are welcomed with improvising vocal and instrumental musicians, film makers and producers:

  • In the Sarasota – Bradenton area in Florida USA for composition and live performance.
  • Via the Internet for composition.