HASGS: five years of reduced augmented evolution

The work presented here is based on the Hybrid Augmented Saxophone of GesturalSymbioses (HASGS) system with a focus on and its evolution over the last five years, and an emphasis on its functional structure and the repertoire. The HASGS system was intended to retain focus on the performance of the acoustic instrument, keeping gestures centralised within the habitual practice of the instrument, and reducing the use of external devices to control electronic parameters in mixed music. Taking a reduced approach, the technology chosen to prototype HASGS was developed in order to serve the aesthetic intentions of the pieces being written for it. This strategy proved to avoid an overload of solutions that could bring artefacts and superficial use of the augmentation processes, which sometimes occur on augmented instruments, specially prototyped for improvisational intentionality. Here, we discuss how the repertoire, hardware, and software of the system can be mutually affected by this approach. We understand this project as an empirically-based study which can both serve as a model for analysis, as well provide composers and performers with pathways and creative strategies for the development of augmentation processes.