Modes of Stasis

Modes of Stasis (progression) was written for three saxophones, four percussionists playing metal objects and untempered singing bowls, and electric guitar. The piece was inspired by the monochrome ink paintings of Sesshū, particularly the way negative space and subtle gradations of ink create the impression of mist.

Sharp attacks from the percussion and electric guitar act as dark outlines, while the resonant bowls and saxophones blur into the spaces around them. The music unfolds slowly through a series of austere, static sound fields, beginning on a single pitch before gradually expanding to its widest range and then contracting once again.