Vertical is Caterina Barbieri's debut album and it was composed for vocals and Buchla 200 modular synthesizer. Vertical takes a meditative approach to primary waveforms and the polyrhythm of harmonics, stretching the boundaries between drone, minimalism and techno in multichannel systems. This minimalistic focus arises from the polyrhythmic and stratigraphic potential of voltage-controlled sequencers.

Synthesis, drone and immersive listening are three fundamental conditions to enhance an advanced auditory art, not based on extrinsic links but solely built on the experience of the spectrum, able to develop our very limited ability of perceiving the vertical domain of music, involving us in a holistic way. Caterina Barbieri (*1990) is a composer and performer of electro-acoustic music. Mostly interested in modular synthesis, three-dimensional spatialisation and psychoacoustic aural sculpture, her music arises from a meditative approach to primary waveforms and the polyrhythm of harmonics.

She received a degree in classical guitar and electro-acoustic music at the conservatory of Bologna, Italy (plus an exchange programme at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Sweden) with a thesis about time, space and spectrum in vertical music. She's currently attending a bachelor in literature and she’s active as audiovisual artist, acousmatic composer and guitarist. Her work has been commissioned and performed in festivals and venues of experimental music.

Caterina Barbieri: BUCHLA MODULAR SYNTHESIZER, VOCALS.
VOICES BY ELLEN ARKBRO IN TRACK 5.
RECORDED AT EMS AND KMH - STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - SUMMER 2013. MIXED IN BOLOGNA, ITALY.