(OB6) "Pendulum" Etude

Published on Sep 28, 2018 Kris Lennox

"Difficult work, on a number of levels. I believe the score for this work is being published soon. If so, I'll also make sure the patch is available for anyone who purchases the sheet music. The title of this work refers to a number of features: electronic musicians will likely know the term 'pendulum' as a way of describing arpeggiator sequences (i.e. 'up-down' and 'down-up' sequences) - in the Classical world, these sequences are known as 'rolling arpeggios'. You'll see from the first phrase that the work is built on pendulum sequences. On a more aesthetic level: ring modulation plays a major role in the sound of this work. The ring mod creates a rather odd illusion of descending notes sounding like ascending sequences - hence also the use of the title 'pendulum'.

I'm creatively embracing the limitations of the instrument: I don't use 'limitation' here in a negative sense (everything has boundaries), but rather, in a positive sense. You'll see the piece utilises the full range of the Obi. Also - and at a musical level - I'm harnessing the 6-note polyphony as a creative feature. At c. 0:12 you'll hear the polyphony is causing the low note to be cut off when I reach the high note of the pendulum. If the Obi had 8-note polyphony, the composition would have been very different.

Mentally the most difficult section occurs at 1:02, where there are two independent pendulum sequences of different length played simultaneously. The LH is playing a 10-note sequence, with the highest note accented, whilst at the same time the RH is playing a 12-note sequence, with the lowest note accented. Therefore, the phasing drifts (obvious if you listen to where the accents occur). This is very different from standard piano writing where an accent usually falls on the same note for every sequence. Having two brains would make the task easier!

The sequences can be thought of as two Newton's cradles swinging, one larger than the other. Both are perfectly in sync with their own phase sequence - but the different phase lengths cause unusual 'drift'.

At the instrument level, the accented notes show off the OB6's touch sensitivity. It really is a wonderful instrument.

At 1:36 there are chromatically descending double-note runs in minor thirds in the RH (similar to the descending double thirds in Chopin's 24th Prelude). Here again you'll notice the pitch seems to be ascending in places i.e. the 'pendulum' effect.

The work fades out on the drift sequencing, after passing the 120-note point, i.e. the point where the phase sequencing of both hands returns to the 'zero' point of each sequence.

PS the OB6 is in my filming studio, hence the black background. I had two cameras set up as the performance vid may also be part of the score purchase, but for this YT upload, the single camera angle will suffice.

In terms of recording: no external processing - what you are hearing is a direct out from the Obi.

All best
Kris"