Name: Four Diamonds by jaybatzner
Duration: 7 min 6 s
Description: Based on a story told on The Great Eastern. Created for my RPM Challenge in February 2025.

Marco Padilha - Actus Tragicus Sonate, op 19 (2005)
Sonia Rubinsky - Piano
Live recording - Espaço Cultural CPFL - Campinas - SP - Brazil May 7 2005
Illustration - Marcelo Grassmann

Marco Padilha - Actus Tragicus Sonate - Rubinsky - Campinas - 2005

All electronic material is sourced from a Behringer ARP 2600 clone, Erica SYNTRX and a Eurorack modular, with the 2600 being treated by or passing through the SYNTRX in most instances. Additional material from my modular began making their way into the piece about halfway through the journey. The piece emerged out of some rough improvisatory materials recorded at the beginning of September 2022. 

This is a reworking of an earlier "draft," after my friend Erik Klackner unwisely commented that the piece (a 36-minute version) could be three times as long and remain just as engaging. I decided to see if that was literally true. It seems to me that it is, although *your* mileage may vary... I think the large form is pretty much determined, although a lot of the inner detail will be worked, with some material being refined, re-recorded or rejected. 

I've always liked long pieces. In the heyday of progressive rock, I loved those side-long tracks that bands indulged in, and spent many hours scouring record stores for new ones. It seems that composing lengthy pieces is just deeply ingrained in my musical personality. Writing music of this scale puts one grip of a kind of madness that can be off-putting for the most openminded listener and strain friendships. Along with the dedicatee, Brad Fowler, Jay C Batzner and Ryan Hare have given crucial feedback along the way, and I am forever grateful for their encouragement and support. 

David D. McIntire: Behringer 2600, Erica SYNTRX, Eurorack modular, bass clarinet, clarinet

I began this piece using the 2600 clone and the SYNTRX, but along the way I began building a Eurorack modular setup (constructing most modules from kits), which I began incorporating into Svalbard as the system grew. Within my Eurorack modular there are a handful of modules that are really special to me (and contribute greatly to the piece), especially three from Djupviks Elektronik: Distorted Light, Clot and Svalbard. I can't recommend those highly enough.

Current version: 26 November 2024

Things to See & Do in Svalbard (for Erik Klackner)

A three-year-old's rant.
https://vimeo.com/19804745

Big Donut

Based on a story told on The Great Eastern. Created for my RPM Challenge in February 2025.

Four Diamonds

The first F'loom album: Michael Ives, Robert Kulik, Rick Scott.

10 Possible Outcomes of Gnegg's Space-Time Paradox

Ghi Terakita

Just For A Few Minutes

Squamous Double-Drab Mojo

The Postman-Hill Victory Correspondence

1999 / The Lydian String Quartet, Daniel Stepner, Judith Eissenberg (Violins), Mary Ruth Ray (Viola), Rhonda Rider (Cello) / Written for and dedicated to the Lydian String Quartet, commissioned by New England Presenters with funding from the New England Foundation for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Wilson's Ivory-Bill

String Quartet #4

Jay is a composer who has Done Things and Been Performed Places. His catalog ranges from traditional ensembles such as natural horn + live electronics, 4-hand organ duo, and countertenor + alto sax, to the unusual and idiosyncratic ensembles of voice + piano, unaccompanied bassoon, and choir. His works have been performed on all habitable planets in the known universe.

As a collaborator, Jay has created music with numerous choreographers, visual artists, and poets. His interdisciplinary work with Team Hyena Puppet has led to the production of several science-based dance pieces, a journal article, a book chapter, several conference presentations, and a feature in Forbes. It is through this work that Jay claims to know more about hyena mating behaviors than any other musician on the planet.

Currently, Jay rambles about music and various tangents (comic books, science fiction, hyena mating behaviors, etc.) at Central Michigan University. He has degrees from Serious Places but that was a long time ago. Right now Jay is completing his first full-length opera (his first opera was pretty short) and trying to get better at chess. Actually right now Jay is writing this biography but you get the idea.

Four Diamonds

jaybatzner

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