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Electroacoustic music is music that exploits electroacoustic devices in the creation of sound, and is to be projected over loudspeakers rather than performed by instrumentalists. Electroacoustic music does not seek to imitate instrumental music but to venture into new sonic worlds.

By combining high-level artistic, conceptual and technical skills with the utilization of advanced electroacoustic technology, I seek to blur the dividing line between film music and sound design, broadening the scope of storytelling in film.

While adopting my “musical sound design” approach to film sound, working with game audio I'm focussed at creating a dynamic soundscape which contributes to the dramaturgical structure of the game, appreciating the implications of its nonlinear nature.

In projects calling for a traditional score, a combined sound design and music editing service is offered. Having a background as orchestrator, I’m able to appreciate the intentions of the instrumental composer, and to interpret the potentials of a score in relation to image.

Working with electroacoustic composition, mixing and mastering are integral parts of the compositional process. In recent years I started to assist artists working in other genres to similarly exploit mixing and mastering in the forming a given work.

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Cosmogyral Echo, 2010, remix of Jexper Holmen's Oort Cloud (Dacapo Records) Rabbit at the Airport I-III, 2006-2008, for bass clarinet and electroacoustic sound (Usagi Records) Seven Tales of Misery, 2006, electroacoustic performance-installation, collaboration with SIGNA, commissioned by PLEX Music Theatre, Copenhagen Ring road, Night in the Park, 2005, 4 channel sound installation, commissioned by SPOR festival Ring road A141, 2004, electroacoustic sound, commissioned by mooseMATRIX Sleepdriver, 2003-2004, electroacoustic sound, commissioned by the Foundation Bruynél (Elektramusic) Essential Tree Work, 2001-2002, for bass clarinet and electroacoustic sound, commissioned by The Danish Composers' biennial and ensemble Contemporanea twoAwoman, 2002, Electroacoustic Theatre Performance, collaboration with Laurence Arpi, commissioned by AUT Sound Picture, 2001, sound installation, commissioned by SWUNG Shadow Songs, 2000-2001, for soprano and electroacoustic sound, commissioned by Rikke Simonsen Glober, 1999-2000, for organ, commissioned by Christian Præstholm

Rabbit at the Airport IV, the Finish Line, 2009, online film, collaboration with Jacob Ballinger, Eyemotions Sekunder, 2009, additional music, sound design, and music mixing (Dolby Digital) for short film by Anders Fløe Svenningsen Rocketman, 2008, integrated music and sound design (Dolby Digital) for a 35mm short film by Jacob Ballinger/Juliane Beer Ring road A141, 2006, music video, collaboration with Jacob Ballinger, Eyemotions

LIMBO Integrated music and sound design for black/white puzzle game released on Xbox Live Arcade, summer 2010

LIMBO awarded for Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design at the 14th Interactive Achievements Awards, Las Vegas LIMBO awarded for best sound at IndieCade 2010, the International Festival of Independent Games, Los Angeles LIMBO awarded Best Sound Design at X-Play Best of 2010 Awards LIMBO nominated for Use of Audio at the British Academy Video Games Awards (BAFTA), 2011 LIMBO nominated for Best Audio at the 11th Annual Game Developers Choice Award LIMBO nominated for Audio Accomplishment at the Develop Industry Excellence Awards 2011 LIMBO runner up for EDGE's 2010 Audio Award LIMBO nominated for Best Sound Design 2010 by LIMBO runner up for Gamespot, and Machinima Essential Tree Work awarded the ElektraMusic Award 2005, France Sleepdriver nominated in Du 32e Concours International de Musique et d'Art Sonore Electroacoustiques de Bourges, France in 2005 Essential Tree Work awarded an honourable mention in the Prix Ton Bruynél, the Netherlands, the only award made by the jury in 2003 Essential Tree Work awarded an honourable mention in the 25th International Competition Luigi Russolo, Italy in 2003 Shadow Songs prize awarded in the The Danish Arts Foundation competition in 2000

2005, Received a 3 year working scholarship from The Danish Arts Foundation 2003-2004/2008-2011, Received annual working scholarships from The Danish Arts Foundation 2003, received an international research scholarship from the Danish Research Agency and the Danish Ministry of Culture 2001 - 2007, Grants for artistic purposes received from Sonning Foundation, Danish Arts Council, KODA, Danish Composers' Society/KODA's Fund for Social and Cultural Purposes, Danish Actors' Association's Gramex Fund, William & Hugo Evers Fond & Astrid and Aksel Agerbys Mindefond

Selected performances International Computer Music Conference 2009 Montreal/2005 Barcelona The Cutting Edge 2008, The British Music Information Centre, London Le Bruit de la Neige 2009, Annecy, France San Francisco Tape Music Festival 2005/2007, California Sonorities 2005/2006, Belfast ÉuCuE 27ii 2008, Montréal FUTURA 2006, Crest, France International Gaudeamus Music Week 2003/2004 BEAST, Birmingham University CCRMA, California Berkeley University of California Santa Fe Electro Acoustic Music Festival, New Mexico Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), London Kontur Festival 2007/2008, Copenhagen Festival Forfest, Czech Republic MANTIS SOUTH-NORTH 2007, Manchester NWEAMO, Oregon/California Nordic Music Days 2004/2006 SPOR festival 2005, Århus Amplitudes, Paris Dal Niente, Chicago Sound Around 2007, Copenhagen Two Days Two Nights New Music, Ukraine Santa Maria Nuova Musica, Italy ...

»Martin Stig Andersen draws the listener into a deeply evocative mood where agitated sub-frequencies and gathering crescendos suggest a sinister, cinematic quality...« (furthernoise.org) »... driven along with amphetamine-like conviction and laced with disturbing sub-clauses and alarming punctuation marks« (The Journal of Music in Ireland) »... a faintly glowing atmosphere of fine-tuned associations and delicate nuances of sound, precariously travelling from the soaring, clear, sweeping morning feeling to the covered, hidden, tucked-away grumble of stash-aways, heard through the wall, murky, dark... « (Sonoloco) »I solemnly enjoy the way Andersen brings you into the mist of notions, into hints of bardos far beyond the logic and reason of this world« (Sonoloco) »It's odd to see myself writing such things, but there's no other way to describe the deep, primal way these sounds acted on me - basic, deep-seated emotions of violence, fear, helplessness, and tenderness« (San Francisco Classical Voice)

2004-2010 Studying Electroacoustic Composition at City University, London, with Denis Smalley 1998-2003 Diploma in composition from The Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, Denmark, studying with Karl Aage Rasmussen and Bent Sørensen 2001-2003 Studying electroacoustic at City University, London, as part of the Danish diploma degree 1998-2000 Attending courses at the Danish Institute of Electroacoustic Music 1995-1998 Private studies in composition, harmony, counterpoint 1976-1988 Student of music, primarily piano, at the Aarhus Musikskole

2011 Lecturing at the 25th Game Developers Conference (GDC), San Francisco 2011 Lecturing at Danish Film & Media Composers (BFM) 2011 Lecturing at Centre for Applied Artistic Innovation (CAKI) 2010 Lecturing at GameCity 5, Nottingham 2010 Evaluator at The National Academy of Digital, Interactive Entertainment (DADIU) 2005-2010 Teaching courses in music technology and acoustic awareness at the Academy of Music and Music Communication, Esbjerg 2006 Teaching course in electroacoustic composition at the Royal Danish Academy of Music 2005-2007 Conlsultant for the programme committee of Sound Around 2007 2004 Presentation at San Diego State University 2003 Presentation at Berkeley University of California and Stanford University, California 2003 Member of the committee for the integration of DIEM at the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus 2002-2003 Co-opt member of Danish Composers Society 1998-2002 Board member of AUT (Aarhus Unge Tonekunstnere) 1999-2002 Development of timbreAnalysis (audio analysis software) in collaboration with the University of Aarhus, Department of Computer Science 1999-2001 Chairman of Young Nordic Music Society, Denmark

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LIMBO nominated in the 27th Annual TEC Awards for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Interactive Entertainment Sound Production Interview in Designing Sound Interview in AudioMedia LIMBO released on Steam and PSN LIMBO soundtrack released on Bandcamp, and iTunes

For more than a decade, Martin Stig Andersen has been working as an independent composer in the fields of acousmatic music, sound installations, electroacoustic performance, and video art, earning several international distinctions and awards. In 2009 he joined Playdead where he created the audio for the videogame LIMBO which won Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design at the Interactive Achievement Awards as well as the IndieCade Sound Award 2010. Martin Stig Andersen graduated as a composer from The Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus, Denmark in 2003, after which he went on to study electroacoustic composition under Professor Denis Smalley at City University, London.

Working within the field of electroacoustic composition, I consider my studio as my instrument. Primarily suited for post production, the studio comprises a mixture of highly specialized (and eccentric) tools and industry standard equipment, facilitating 5.1 surround sound mixing.

martin@martinstigandersen.dk
phone: +45 2726 7197

Martin Stig Andersen | Composer and Sound Designer