the grand hemiola

The Grand Hemiola refers to both, a one hour composition for ballet, commissioned by Nationaltheater Mannheim and performed at Jetztmusikfestival 2010 together with Elektro Guzzi and the Kevin O’day Ballet, as well as to the 12″ double vinyl set (Macro M22, 2011) derived and extended from the original score.

Featuring a set of 144 locked grooves, The Grand Hemiola has been specifically produced for the double vinyl record format. This loop toolkit breaks out of the limitation of one 4/4 cycle and brings unique possiblities to create complex polyrhythms just with two decks and a mixer.

One record contains loops in 4/4, the other in 3/4 (employing the time differences of the rotation rates 33 and 45 rpm). In the mix, they sum up to an extended cycle of 3x 4/4 or 4x 3/4 and enable building complex ‘3 over 4’ polyrhythms (‘Hemiolas’).

In addition, sides A and C contain 6 full-length tracks. The Grand Hemiola is a take on the infinite possibilities of rhythmic layering. Percussion-heavy, focussed on clashing metres, deeply exploring the sound set – from the orchestral Grand Hemiola, to the triplet-feel of Megi’s Waltz, from the 11/8 pattern of Double Hendecagon to the anti-loops of Away From The Flock.

Buy: Bandcamp