The above OpenMusic (OM) patches integrate custom Common LISP functions based on the notion of Time Blocks, a theory of temporal partitioning and proportion posited by Karim Haddad—who, very generously, provided me with pseudocode and equations from his 2020 doctoral dissertation.
The basic operations consist of scaling, omission, reduction, and "crossing" (i.e., the interleaving of two patterns, one iteratively reduced and the other iteratively reconstructed).
Below are the initial sketches and experiments for a piece for processed kangling, violin, double bass, and percussion quartet. The kangling, meaning "leg flute", is a Tibetan trumpet or horn made from the tibia or femur of a deceased person. Traditionally, it is used in Tibetan Buddhism in chöd rituals as well as funerals.
The title of the piece, "Bone Palings", is drawn from a passage from Cormac McCarthy's novel "Blood Meridian":
"Bone palings ruled the small and dusty purlieus here and death seemed the most prevalent feature of the landscape. Strange fences that the sand and wind had scoured and sun bleached and cracked like old porcelain with dry brown weather cracks and where no life moved."
The title also serves as a secondary allusion to the solo percussion piece "Bone Alphabet" by Brian Ferneyhough, whose approach to rhythm and time influenced the character of my own piece.
