Over the course of the piece the pattern is gradually explored and extrapolated upon as each instrument adds its variation. While listening to the piece, I wondered why I thought I recognized it. I had never heard it before, or listened to anything by this ensemble before either, so there is no reason it should have sounded familiar. What I was recognizing was the underlying bluegrass pattern that the piece was based on. Although it sounds nothing like any bluegrass music that I'd ever heard, "Magnet's" core rhythm was enough of a trigger for part of me to think I knew the song.
"Driven" is probably the most "conventional" of the contemporary pieces here as you can hear the minimalist influences of Steve Reich in it. This piece was inspired by the composer having listened to music that had been written honouring Reich's 70th birthday, and you can hear that in the composition. Yet, instead of it being completely atonal like so many minimalist pieces, they have managed to create a piece that is reminiscent of the style without sacrificing any fullness in their own sound.
I know there is a lot of hesitation among people when it comes to listening to contemporary compositions. There's always the fear that what you are going to hear is going to sound nothing like music, and instead of giving you any sort of pleasure will leave you feeling anxious and stressed. Build's newest release, Build, proves that you can make interesting and exciting contemporary music, without torturing your listeners. For those who have held off listening to anything in this field, you might just want to check this release out - it could change the way you think about contemporary composition.
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Article comments
1 - Chris
Nice find! Having recently gotten into Penguin Cafe Orchestra, this album is right up my alley.