Threshold & Release (original version) (2021) [12’30]
commissioned by Rewire Festival 2021 for their Music for a Busy City Project

The Gevangenpoort is the former gateway to the city of The Hague. Stood under its arched roof, in medieval times, you would also be sheltering under the city jail, housed in the building above. Separated acoustically from the outside world this vaulted passageway is a place of transition. The two sections that form ‘Threshold & Release’ are written especially for this interim space that exists between worlds. Its source material is beating patterns: rhythmic pulses generated by the simultaneous sounding of two similar tones. These musical patterns exist solely as moments of transition, being neither one tone nor the other, and yet within that passing moment also find a place of residence, a place of resolution. There are two versions of the piece, this original purely electronic version (a stereo file), and later an instrumental version with pianos and guitars.

Threshold & Release (instrumental version) (2023) [12’30]
for 2 pianos, 2 electric guitars & fixed media electronics
Premiere: 25 Feb 2023, Andriessen Festival, Musis Sacrum, Arnhem

This version of Threshold & Release is an instrumental expansion of the earlier electronic work originally written for the Gevangenpoort, the former gateway to the city of The Hague, and the city jail. Separated acoustically from the outside world this vaulted passageway is a place of transition, an interim space. Its source material is beating patterns: rhythmic pulses generated by the simultaneous sounding of two similar tones. These musical patterns exist solely as moments of transition, being neither one tone nor the other, and yet within that passing moment also a point of resolution. Here, the symmetry within the architectural structure is reflected in the double duo of guitars and pianos.