The piece begins with subtle undercurrent of noise that fades over time, allowing the instruments to slowly fill sonic space on a single pitch. To highlight the change, several recurring phrases with different contours that introduce themselves over the piece, build in density and intensity very slowly. However, the gradual increase in the phrasing blends with the long, sustained tones and creates a constantly evolving texture. This transitions slowly occurs over arc of the piece, and its momentum is barely detectable. The pace and rhythm of the music continually increases as it reaches the end of the arc of the experience to bring perception to this transformation to the foreground.
The mood changes dramatically towards in last third of the piece, becoming a hurried, bustling soundscape where the previously quiet atmosphere is now filled with an urgent and anxious energy. Performers play contrapuntal lines in unison and groups of two until there is a collapse at cue 11, which is both the culmination and the revelation of this gradual transformation. This frenetic pace proves to be unsustainable, as the music reaches a tipping point where everything unravel in a chaotic burst of sound. In this way, gradient not only portrays a shift in texture and timbre but also reflects a deeper human experience of time, where the moments of transition are often invisible until their effects are fully felt.
This composition uses live electronics by feeding the instruments into a MAX patch. There is a combination of audio recordings as well as granular synthesis and a signal chain with several filters. The electronics output into an 8-channel panner, where each instrument has its own dedicated line. Throughout the piece, the electronics both enhance the density and richness of the layers of sound and create a disorienting experience for the listener. As the electronic interface foregrounds in the music, distortions of the phrases add an resonant texture to the electronics that echoes in the performance.
