Escher's Drum by Rudi Seitz

Escher's Drum is an exploration of rhythmic imitation and transformation. The piece travels through various "rhythmic tiling canons," which are patterns that can be repeated by some number of players in a staggered fashion, so that the players fill all of the available rhythmic space without ever coinciding on the same beat. (In the performances here, there is one player covering three separate parts.)

The first track, employing bongo, tom-tom, and cymbal, shows the piece as composer Rudi Seitz initially conceived it.

The second track is a special interpretation by percussionist Gavin Ryan, featuring Indonesian Gamelan instruments including gangsa pemade, kendang, and klenang. The use of tuned percussion transforms what had been purely rhythmic content into a tapestry of melodic motifs. In a fascinating surprise, these motifs project an intentional, composed quality even though they arise as a simple consequence of a fixed pitch being assigned to each part. Here, the performer has unlocked an entire dimension of the piece that the composer did not know it contained.

Video of Gavin Ryan performing Track 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtabUjIheNc

Further information: https://rudiseitz.com/2016/05/17/eschers-drum-updated/

How can I connect with the divine, with other people, and with my inner self? How can I heal? I call myself a musician because I am looking for answers to those questions through the pathway of sound. Join me on my sonic journey.

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