Unburying, From Liminals, Emerging

microtonal prepared piano + saxophone trio + Percussion

Musicians: Matt Choboter, Calum Builder, Miguel Crozzoli, Michal Biel, Jan Kadereit

 Buried language was my first attempt at contextualizing the microtonal prepared piano in ensemble format. Compositionally, it was an exploration into writing for saxophone trio. Multi-phonics, extended techniques and specified microtonality. 

Phase #1

A key point of research was amassing a small library of sounds and multi phonics from each saxophonist. I then built approximate compositions in Logic Pro that combined the libraries of all the saxophonist’s sounds. Following, I composed sketches for saxophone trio, piano and percussion. 

Early musical outcome  

Phase #2

I decided to write another batch of material for this ensemble that might juxtapose nicely with the first batch of compositions. Intricate polyrhythms played by piano and percussion with melodic and texturally free writing for saxophones.

Rhythmically, I developed a language for stringing phrases together - something I call “proximity grooves” - which basically refers to linking very similar rhythmic phrases with very different underlying ghatis or subdivisions.

At the core practice level it starts with embodying a wide variety of individual polyrhythms.

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The next step, building toward a “proximity groove” , involves linking a series of closely related polyrhythms.

 * Dots indicate linked polyrhythms

Demonstration

Without ghati or subdivision

With ghati or subdivision

Polyrhythmic chain becomes piano score

When combined with extended drum kit, the percussionist can play within the shifting grids or subdivisions but has freedom to play around the polyrhythms and improvise. The rehearsal of these phrases is arduous and time consuming as they require precision and looseness in order to express fluidity. It was important to establish an underlying and regular pulse to create the illusion of things staying the same, and yet clearly in motion, as if the ground was shifting below one’s feet. I was also aiming for a meditative, ambient aesthetic, that when combined with saxophones, would create some disorientation, ambiguity and illusion. 

 Piano + Percussion playing score and improvising

Working in my tuning system, I wrote microtonally for the saxophone trio. 

I decided to record the saxophones separately, from the piano and percussion, for the reason of practically but also for the reason that I wanted to re-amp parts of the dry saxophone recordings into sonically transforming spaces and through transducers. I eventually re-amped the saxophones into tunnel fabrikken, a gigantic heritage site where parts of the øresunds bridge was fabricated. I thought It would be interesting to capture the sound of the space before it undergoes gentrification.  

Full ensemble context (early mixes)

Noontide

The dancing sorcerer