dreamcatcher | Brandon Maahs

dreamcatcher (2015)

Dreamcatcher is about dichotomy. In the diversion of good and bad dreams, awake and asleep, etc. (stock, I know) but also in music.

The first section is very organic, and slow. I sampled Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata" for the synth part, however the sound is slowed down 800%. The piano part takes on a choral, ethereal quality. Over this opener is a mass of extended techniques for percussion, played without measure numbers or any metric direction. These "cells" of ideas simply float over the piano arpeggio at the performer's discretion. I openly encourage in this section, that the performer improvise and adapt these ideas as they feel necessary.

The B section comes as the contrast. We trade extended techniques for very traditional drumming. We trade temporal freedom for strict rhythmic divisions (the performer must wear headphones with a click track to perform this). And we trade in the ambient acoustic chorale of Beethoven for extreme digital manipulation, that is for lack of a better word, scary. The performer should lose themselves in the wild 5/8 - 7/8, straight-eight patterns indicative of "Marimba Spiritual", and fluctuating tom-tom patterns inspired by "Rebonds".

As an emerging film composer, I got to dive deep into my bag of tricks to create scary dream textures. We hear distorted screams, groans, vocal fry, chopped and screwed synths, and samples from the Ligeti Requiem.

After payment, you will be emailed sheet music and instructions for electronic set-up. Rental oppurtunities or suggestions for alternative purchases will be made available to you then for the "Singing Pyramid". The audio tracks necessary for electronic setup are provided below, simply select one and hit "View Track", then proceed to download.

erratta:

-Wood blocks should be replaced with "temple blocks" for better effect. As such any markings labeled wood blocks should be "temple blocks".

-The "Singing Pyramid" may be substituted for three different sized triangles. Though if possible, renting a pyramid from the composer, or purchasing your own is recomended.

-The last two sextuplets on beats 3 and 4, of the second to last measure may be substituted out for quarter notes on the bass drum building to the final hit, if your chops are busted or the run proves too difficult.