ephemeral blossom

Inspired by the cycles of dormancy and bloom, the piece evokes the rare and fleeting phenomenon of super-blooms in the Mojave Desert when hidden seed reservoirs awaken across the desert valley floor and alluvial fans in a sudden, vibrant emergence of color and texture. Ephemeral blossom is part of a larger two-part composition inspired by Max's two-week experience in the Mojave desert amongst the volcanic craters and canyons. The piece highlights the transformation from dormant seeds in the lowest and driest geologic landscape in the Mojave that awakens to life briefly with bursts of vibrant color approximately once a decade when phenomenological conditions are aligned. This electroacoustic soundscape incorporates onsite recordings of the raw, unfiltered wind sounds from this stark and unsettling desert landscape, as well as EDM-inspired noisy growls in the climax of the work.

The composition begins with a blend of voice, instrumentation and electronics, featuring a sparse and limited pitch range in each motif, while building layers of percussive textures that add depth to the overall soundscape. In the final third of the piece, a startling and momentary flourish occurs, dramatically expanding the range and timbre of each instrument. The composition concludes with the interplay of electronics and the echo of the voice reverberating in the piano soundboard, evoking the haunting transience of the ephemeral blossom; a reminder of the fragility and resilience of life.

The composition begins with a blend of voice, instrumentation and electronics, featuring a sparse and limited pitch range in each motif, while building layers of percussive textures that add depth to the overall soundscape. In the final third of the piece, a startling and momentary flourish occurs, dramatically expanding the range and timbre of each instrument. The composition concludes with the interplay of electronics and the echo of the voice reverberating in the piano soundboard, evoking the haunting transience of the ephemeral blossom; a reminder of the fragility and resilience of life.