interlocked

PLEASE NOTE: As of now, all purchases are for a downloadable PDF copy of combined score and parts which you can print out. You will not receive a hard copy shipped to your address.

Listen to the MIDI recording here! - https://soundcloud.com/noahlathrop/interlocked

interlocked is a marimba duet that explores the beauty of connection and synchronization, as well as divergence. It embraces the delicate balance of interlocking and clashing rhythms. Just as in nature and relationships, moments of tension and independence create a more compelling whole. Sometimes, the notes land together in harmony; other times, they phase, echo, and chase one another, finding expression in the spaces between. That's what I wanted to achieve with interlocked.

The piece begins with a slightly syncopated, descending melody in one marimba, then the other acts as an echo, as if finishing its sentence. Another similar melody is heard ascending back up together and then ends with another echo, this time with a clashing rhythm. We continue these interlocking rhythms and melodies until we finally reach a section sounding in time. The marimbas play identical polyrhythms a beat off each other to create a unique sound. Near the end of this phrase, we hear more clashing rhythms before a dramatic low sustain into a key change. The melody from the beginning is heard again, but in a minor key. The same structure is being played again but with an off-putting feel. Now both the rhythms and the pitches are clashing, representing total divergence, before it all comes back together with a slight groove. After we ascend into a perfectly locked rhythm back in a major key, we reach the climax of the piece, with marimba 1 playing a polyrhythm over marimba 2. This represents the acceptance of divergence and how it can all work together. Everything goes quiet as we hear the first melody being played on last time, this time falling down to a single low sustain before the final chord.