Generator is ‘partly inspired by H R Giger’s painting of bio-mechanoids, hybrids between man and machine which exist in bleak visions of the future’ and are seen in Ridley Scott’s movie Alien. ‘The piece depicts the birth, life and death of one of these bio-mechanoids, combining “human” tonal elements with machine-like percussive sounds and extended techniques.’

The piece opens with “electric sparks” which symbolise the machine’s creation. In an improvisatory way partly ordered by the performers (alluding to the style of British director Mike Leigh), ‘eventually an engine-like rhythm ignites and the music comes to life with vigorous rhythmic energy, passing through a series of contrasting musical episodes until the symmetry of malfunction, death and decay finally brings the piece to extinction’.

The piece is also inspired by ‘electronic dance music, urban free running, obsessive thoughts, cloning, the harmonic series and its relationship to the blues scale, ritualistic chanting and electric guitar techniques.’

Generator was first performed by the Eden-Stell Guitar Duo at the Bath International Guitar Festival, UK in August 2005.