Strobe

The word “strobe” conjures up quite a few images and concepts for me. These include jarring pulses of bright light, the stop-motion we might observe when watching someone or something move under a strobe light, and electronic dance music (or “EDM”). But while Strobe references all of these things -with sharp, pointed, scattershot rhythmic textures, erratic shrieks of brilliance and the occasional thumping kick drum, it also explores some fleeting images that don’t necessarily go together, like photographs that disappear before we can fully grasp them. The piece’s central section features soaring but wistful oboe and horn melodies, followed by a swing-jazz-like interjection with muted trumpets, snare drum and piano. But this suddenly vanishes into a darkly sonorous string chorale. While the acute brilliance of the early part of the piece eventually returns,this shadowy tinge persists in the background, especially at the end, when a shattering major chord in the winds and brass leaves behind wispy, glowing sonic artifacts that quickly vanish.