New Topics

I: "Dance"

Movement 1 revolves around a constant ostinato that alternates between two different types of 9/8: the “Balkan Bar” 2+2+2+3, and the more titular Simple Triple 3+3+3. This movement was inspired primarily by the various lively festivals and markets I attended as part of my studies.

II: "Waltz"

Movement 2 I would describe as a ‘fake waltz’, intensely lethargic and too slow to dance to. Inspired by the sweltering heat of Fujisawa and the Shonan region, this movement makes many a reference to Samuel Barber’s “Summer Music” quintet.

III: "Hocket"

Inspired by the lively night skies on Izu-Oshima island, “Hocket” centers on a single wide-ranging ostinato that’s ‘hocketed’ consistently between every member of the quartet. Layers are added to produce a number of moving lines with no home on any one instrument, illuminating the timbre of each saxophone like a cluster of stars in the night sky.

IV: "Worldbeat"

I’ve always had a deep admiration for the Japanese Pop legend Yumi Matsutoya, who always seemed to speak my language of strange-yet-groovy eclecticism. “Worldbeat”- the black sheep of this work- pays homage to her “Night of the Meteor Shower” and the Toyama folk song “Kokiriko Bushi” in this minyo-infused reggae beat.