Rack and Pinion

Notes

A rack and pinion is a mechanical device where a circular gear (“pinion”) engages teeth on a linear ”gear” bar (”rack”). Rotational motion applied to the pinion causes the rack to move relative to the pinion, thereby translating the rotational motion of the pinion into linear motion.

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I translated the mechanism of a rack and pinion into a compositional system that generated the musical material of the work. It is used for example in creating the structure of rhythmic processes, pitches, scales and articulation. Gradual changes within the rotational mechanism result in an evermoving character.

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The flow of the music is controlled by linear processes, gradually transforming from one texture to another and from one type of movement to another.

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The work consists generally of two types of movement; continuous and abrupt. During the process these two also occasionally intertwine and interact with each other.

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The rotational movement is not only a method of permutating the material but can also be perceived while listening to the piece. Furthermore, the work is characterized by a mechanical and machine-like character with restless ascending scales, metallic, harsh sounding harmonies and sharp articulation – all coming back to the mechanical inspiration behind the work.