1. "Theme I" is an introduction and statement of the theme. After the count-off (1,2,3,4 in various languages, featuring Izabella Okazaki, age 4), a guitar groove enters, followed by two bass clarinets, doubling the guitar. The theme, heard over the last cycle, is a four bar melody which is exactly symmetrical and is composed of 4 separate 12-tone rows made of interlocking pentatonic scales in major thirds. The pulse is played by the bass drum. An accelerating transition leads into "Spiral."
2. "Spiral" is composed entirely from a rhythmic theme of 5 strokes, heard in the drums and percussion as "low low high high high." This pulse is continuous throughout, but expands and contracts and moves through many variations. The basic expansion of 5 strokes into 6,7,8 and 9 is done by adding spaces in the pattern: 5=(x,x,x,x,x), 6=(x,x, - ,x,x,x), 7=(x, - , - ,x,x,x), 8=(x,x, - ,x, - ,x, - ,x). 9=(x, - ,x, - ,x, - ,x, - ,x). The structure in the first section outlines the basic expansion of 5 strokes into 6,7,8 and 9 units, with three of each type followed by an ending (5,4,5,4,5). The structure on the bridge is inspired by a type of rhythmic composition found in South Indian music called "Korvai," where an identical rhythmic composition is played in several speeds and is calculated to finish at the end of the rhythmic cycle, in this case 32 bars of 4/4 time. Here the rhythmic composition is 210 units long, which divides into 5,6, and 7 subdivisions per beat. The triple repetition of 5,6,7,8,9 is continued, and reduced to double, and then single before moving on to the next speed. It is followed by a short three-part ending, known in South Indian music as an "arudhi," and in North Indian music as a "Tehai." The structure of the ending is (7,7,6,6,5,5,2,2,2) in three descending speeds. The last speed serves as a rhythmic modulation, returning to the top of the form, slightly faster. The melody, played by soprano saxophone and guitar, outlines the basic structure of the rhythmic composition with five different types of phrases, corresponding to the five rhythmic expansions. The phrases get closer together and eventually join into a continuous line. The beginning of each phrase is accented by the crash cymbal. The constant underlying pulse in 4/4 can be heard in the backbeat played by the snare drum and electric guitar. The entire form could be endlessly repeated, accelerating each time through rhythmic modulation, as there is no real beginning or end. The harmony of the piece is closely related to "Mirror," which follows.
3. "Mirror" continues with the rhythmic concept of "Spiral," using a continuous cycle of 5,7,9. This makes the number 21, which is also three sevens or seven threes, or many other things, depending on the interpretation of the improvisors.
4. "Howl" approaches the idea of rhythmic expansion and contraction from another angle. The first section is a contracting cycle (8,7,6,5,4,5,6,7) and the second section expands (6,7,8,9,10,9,8,7). The numbers that these make in 8th notes (48 and 64) neatly fit into 4 bars of 12/8 and 8 bars of 4/4. The harmonies are symmetrical also, the first section composed of triads descending and ascending in the circle of fifths, and the second section rotating through melodic minor scales separated by major thirds. The switch to electric bass and guitar signals a change in direction.
5. "Invention" is an exploration of the idea of rhythmic proportion. The length of each pair of sections (melody, guitar break) is based on the famous "Fibonacci series," which builds on itself and approaches the golden ratio, a number found throughout natural phenomena. This can seen in the music by comparing the number of beats for each pair of sections, which progress through the series: 1:1, 2:1, 3:2, 5:3, 8:5, 13:8, 21:13, 34:21, 55:34 . . . etc. The final section, with layered melodic variations, shifts between two harmonic sections in the approximate golden ratio proportion of 89:55. The tabla solo is a composition unto itself, constrained within a single 144 beat section.
6. "Theme II" is the beginning of the second group of 5 compositions. The theme is played at medium and fast speed, linked by a rhythmic modulation in the guitar. The symmetrical nature of the theme is revealed when the track reverses and plays back to the beginning, yielding the same melody as before. This version of the theme introduces a drum groove which is symmetrical between the hands and feet (cymbals and bass drum), which is also evident when played backwards. Heard at the beginning and end, the complete harmonic series of the open strings of the guitar frames the track.
7. "Metamorphosis" is similar to "Spiral" in concept, with a more of a focus on melodic phrases. Drums and guitar play the main rhythmic structure, while the horns play a melody in counterpoint. There are three main melodic phrases played by the guitar and drums, which are reduced and expanded in a specific structure of modulating speeds and phrase lengths. The whole rhythmic structure is played in three increasing speeds, and finishes at the end of four 24-bar harmonic cycles in 4/4 time (one cycle is played as an introduction). The harmony is based on a small section of J.S. Bach's Violin Partita in E major. The melody is inspired by a recording called "Humming of the Bees" by the Baka Pygmies of Camaroon.
8. "Halfway" marks the midpoint of the recording. "Halfway" is in 4/4 time, with each measure divided into 48 subdivisions (12/8 in sextuplets). These 48 subdivisions are grouped into 7x4 and 5x4, creating the illusion of a shift between a slow and fast tempo in each bar. Guitar and drums outline the common time signature and the odd groupings simultaneously. In the bridge the rhythms become more complicated, using larger and smaller versions of the previous pattern. A simple diatonic melody ties anchors the song to the basic pulse.
9. "Momentum" explores various types of layered rhythmic cycles, in a bright swing feel. The bass and guitar repeat a short symmetrical cycle (4,3,4), while the horns play longer structures in a second layer. At regular intervals, one horn splits away from the melody and disappears, and then quickly reappears to take up the melody while the other horn follows the same pattern. This continues in a circular way, with the horns disappearing to the right and left like objects escaping from a spinning centrifuge (listen with headphones for the full effect). The short guitar solo foreshadows the melody to "Canon" and the solo on "Chorale."
10. "Canon" is a groove in 49, divided in many different ways. First, two frame drums outline a "tehai" structure (17,17,15). Then a rapid melody builds through rhythmic expansion (1,3,5,7,9,11,13). Then a melody breaks the cycle up unevenly, over the rhythm section playing a different uneven structure (5)(4,7,5,4)(4)(4,7,5,4) and the end of the second solo arrives at a simple repetition of sevens (7x7). The melody is a version of a "Crab Canon," a type of composition by J.S. Bach where the melody is played forward and then backward on top of itself to create symmetrical counterpoint. The challenge is to create a melody that agrees with the harmony going in either direction. The 49 beat rhythmic cycle as played in the bass is inspired by a recording called "Nasro Tombak" by Iranian percussionist Majid Khaladj.
11. "Theme III" is the beginning of the third group of 5 compositions. The symmetrical drum groove is featured, as the high bass clarinet doubles the bass drum and the low bass clarinet doubles the ride cymbal. The theme is played by the guitar, two octaves below the original version.
12. "Improvisation" is a freely improvised duet between guitar and tenor sax over the changes to John Coltrane's "Countdown." Drums have been added to the duet by orchestrating and programming drum samples to follow it (Bass drum, snare, and toms follow the guitar; cymbals, hi-hat, and rimshots follow the saxophone). The harmony, based on major thirds, echo the chords of "Theme," which is based on the same relationships. At the climax of the duet, the symmetrical drum groove from "Theme" returns, along with a solo played on a machine created in the computer music program "pd," still following the basic harmony of "Countdown." The drums continue, played by another machine created for this song, through accelerating versions of the original groove to the conclusion, which returns to natural instruments. At high volume with good speakers, a very low drone can be heard throughout, especially at the end. This drone and the ascending solo slip out of the high and low ranges of human hearing as the song ends.
13. "Volcano" is a cycle of three threes (3/2, 3/4, 3/8) which gradually builds to an explosive level of volume and density. The melody, played by guitar and bass clarinet, is a straightforward exploration of the theme of threes: first break (in 16th notes) 6 (3) 6x2 (3) 6x3, second break 12 (6) 12x2 (6) 12x3, third break 18 (9) 18x2 (9) 18x3. The guitar solo followed by the drum solo builds to the final section, where the melody returns in the guitar along with walls of sound from the horns and rapid ascending patterns played by electric guitar and a pattern generator built in "pd." The entire song uses only pitches from the scale: e, f#, g#, a, b, c, d. The accelerating transition leads into the next composition, which has the same number of beats per cycle, arranged in a different way.
14. "Mirror II" is a variation of the earlier composition, at a slower tempo, with electric instruments and a different form. The pulse of 21/8 carries over from the "Volcano" and arrives at "Mirror" from an unusual angle. The new coda bring the composition full circle, with a major recapitulation of the original minor melody.
15. "Chorale" ends a section for the third time with a form inspired by J.S. Bach (see "Invention" and "Canon"), "Chorale" is a diatonic melody with chord inversions chosen in such a way as to make a nearly chromatic bassline. The guitar plays freely throughout, eventually bringing in the harmony and melody. The song ends on a D major triad, the same chord that began the record.
