Blast

I wanted to hear a solid heavy sound full of superimposed sonic textures combined with musical ingredients recognizable as heavy metal. The piece should not have any musical development. Blast should sound like a loud bursting machine that is turned on and off.

I composed a graphical score, structured it with an indeterminate order of figures that serve as a type of notation and indicated their duration. Geometrical square forms filled with different grey tones depict varying gradients of noise. Wavy lines in various positions, represent bent and sustained tones produced with an e-bow. Equally sized dots in a line in varying rhythmical patterns indicate power chord combinations. Dots in various sizes and grey tones connected with lines propose melodies. Asterisks represent finger tapping in various directions.The number next to each figure indicates the duration for which each figure should be played.

All musicians navigate freely and individually through the score and choose the order of figures to play, listing and adding them up until they have enough to perform 24 minutes.

Similar to the composition 38 bpm, and String Quartet no. 3, each musician chooses a different route through the score. In effect, each musician plays a solo piece. To emphasize this, each guitarist was asked to interpret the different figures in the graphical score slightly differently, by choosing a special sound that none of the others were using. I wanted to hear the typical "voice" of each player. One player for example blew his breath above the pick up element of the guitar to produce noise. Each player had a different pedal board set-up.