The Hypothesis (Three-Part Collection for Electronics)
Composer: Soheil Shirangi
Year of Creation: Spring 2017
Concept: The Hypothesis is a trilogy exploring the uncertain relationship between structure, ideology, and sound. It questions whether music must always take form—or if it can exist as an idea, a philosophy, or a reflection of time. From Debussy to Cage and Stockhausen, composers have sought to redefine art’s dialectic with the world around them. This collection continues that inquiry, asking whether Hegel’s vision of the Zeitgeist can still resonate in our era, and how contemporary music might embody thought itself.
The Hypothesis No. 1 (for Fixed Media)
Year of Creation: April 2017 • Narrator: Parsa Sotoudeh
Performance: January 2019 — Second Official Concert of the Dream House Ensemble, Niavaran Cultural Center, Tehran
The first part introduces The Hypothesis’s philosophical essence—a dialogue between narration and electronic sound. Voice and texture merge to question perception, creating a soundscape that blurs boundaries between language and abstraction. The result is both analytical and emotional, reflecting the human urge to define meaning within chaos.
The Hypothesis No. 2 (for Fixed Media)
Year of Creation: May 2017 • Released: June 2020 on Spectrum Album by Phasma Company, Athens, Greece
Selected Work: Among four Iranian composers featured in the release
Performances:
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September 25–26, 2020 — 38th International Conference of the World Confederation of Electroacoustic Music (CIME/ICEM), Polish Academy of Music, Krakow (Online)
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October 12, 2020 — Radio Kapitał, Poland
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The Hypothesis No. 2 develops the dialectic between structure and intuition. It balances systematic organization with spontaneous sonic gestures, embodying the tension between rational design and emotional impulse. The work becomes a meditation on how musical form can express thought itself—structured yet unpredictable, analytical yet poetic.
The Hypothesis No. 3 (for Multi-Channel Electronics)
Year of Creation: June 2017
Performance: September 2018 — Simn Festival, Curitiba Theater, Brazil
The final part expands into a multi-channel environment, surrounding the listener with shifting sonic perspectives. Spatial movement and layered resonance create a sense of immersion, where perception becomes unstable and constantly redefined. The Hypothesis No. 3 completes the trilogy as a reflection on multiplicity—the coexistence of ideas, sounds, and truths that shape the contemporary human condition.
Overall: Together, the three works of The Hypothesis form a philosophical and sonic investigation into music as a living idea. Rather than offering certainty, the series invites reflection on the nature of form, the role of the listener, and the ever-changing dialogue between thought, sound, and existence.