strobe
for mixed quartet
2025
15’
written as part of the Soundhub Scheme
for clarinet/bass clarinet, trombone, cello and sample pad
Strobe lights—those which emit rapid flashes of very bright light—are often used in nightclubs at moments of heightened intensity. Their flickering regularity becomes hypnotic. They create an illusion that makes objects or people appear to be moving in slow motion or even standing still. They disorient the brain's ability to track movement and continuity, often leaving ghostly ‘afterimages’ after you look away. All these effects inspired Strobe.
This piece is composed for amplified clarinet/bass clarinet, cello, trombone and sample pad. The latter triggers an array of sounds, most of which are recorded fragments played by the three instruments.
The music is in four continuous parts: 1. The Climb (in which things tend to get higher); 2. Floors and Hover (in which beats revolve and shift); 3. Centre of Gravity (in which things tend to fall) and 4. Horizon (in which the remnants of the energy continue to flicker and buzz).