There is still something satisfying about going to an actual venue, occupied by other bodies, and then to sit within direct eye-shot of live musicians who are battling with a not always ideal sound system (slight buzz in the left side; not entirely clear foldback sound for the performers to hear what they are doing), who are presenting a sonic experience which is now able to occupy an expansive space in the form of both quiet fragments hanging in a void, or dense sound masses.

Decibel New Music performing in Perth. Photo © Anthony Tran.

So it was that Decibel New Music returned to Perth to premiere the live version of Two Minutes From Home: a series of 20 short works composed and presented online in 2020. As Decibel artistic director Cat Hope confided to me afterwards, uplifting though it was to connect online during lockdown, nothing beats coming together in the same physical location to play.

Hope’s intent was to connect with her peers and so allow a space for complexity, if the artists wanted...