Ephemera (for mallet sextet)

"Volcán de Fuego" is a work for percussion quartet inspired by my trip to Guatemala in the summer of 2013. During a stop at La Antigua, I witnessed the incredible sight of the three massive volcanoes surrounding the rustic, colonial city and could not keep myself from imagining the awesome, raw power these massive giants could emanate. I hoped to convey these "three volcánes" in the work through the substantial use of bombastic three-note motives and groupings. The title, however, refers to the only dangerous active volcano of the three - "volcano of fire" - which has posed a serious threat to La Antigua throughout its history.

"Volcán de Fuego" was premiered by the TCU Percussion Ensemble on April 14, 2014.

www.perezperc.com

Volcan de Fuego (MIDI recording)

"Nalu" is a marimba quartet written for four players on two marimbas. In the Hawaiian language, the word “nalu” stands for wave, in reference to those in the waters surrounding the islands of Hawaii. Through the use of counterpoint, syncopation, hocket and hints of minimalist techniques, Nalu emulates the varying moods and textures of these ever-changing waves in the Pacific.
Though this work’s contrasting sections intend to portray the many states of the ocean’s waters, one notable memory from a trip in 2013 and my fascination for the beauty of nature shaped the beginning and ending of "Nalu". Soon after arriving on the beach the first morning, a few grey clouds formed over the shore. With the sun shining brightly just above the horizon, the delicate trickles from the drizzle gently joined the faint wave breaks from the distance in a slow crescendo. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, an immense downpour and powerful gust overcame the coast, orchestrating a surge of sound from the ocean’s surface and the aggressive crashes on the shore. After a short while, the sun’s radiant rays seemed to dissolve the dark clouds within minutes and the glistening clear blue water of the Pacific returned to its calm state from beforehand. Just as the days cycle through light and dark, the waves and waters of the blue cycle though a multitude of characters, only to return to its original still, serene state.

composed by Francisco Perez

Available through C. Alan Publications - Fall 2014

www.perezperc.com

Nalu (MIDI recording)

"La Fractura" is a highly syncopated percussion trio written for three keyboards and djembe with a small percussion setup. Originally written for a larger array of instruments, I decided to highlight the Latin groove-ish atmosphere of the work by narrowing down the accompanying  instrumentation to a djembe. The title refers to the two contrasting characters of the piece - a dark, rhythmic setting split in two by radiant, ethereal lines.

Available from C. Alan Publications - Fall 2014

www.perezperc.com

La Fractura (MIDI recording)

Emerge

Dakel Energy

Volemos (MIDI)

for solo vibraphone and playback

_


From Carl Sagan to Salvador Dali, Albert Einstein to Johann Otto van Spreckelsen, Hermann Minkowski to Christopher Nolan, a ravenous curiosity for a dimension outside our perceptible three has left physicists, artists, architects, and mathematicians alike to conceptualize a multitude of interpretations beyond the physicality of our own world. Historically ranging from complex mathematical models and intricate thought-experiments to the evocation of omnipotent vessels with the ability to bend the immensity of space-time, the hypercube – or “tesseract” – has been a commonly drawn upon entity from this multi-dimensional perspective. Though this geometric figure has been associated with supernatural and metaphysical capabilities throughout literature and film, the tesseract is simply the four-dimensional analog of a cube similar to the relationship between a two-dimensional square and the three-dimensional cube.
 
Written for solo vibraphone and pre-recorded mallet keyboards, Tesseract is the result of my exploration between the multiple aural “dimensions” unique to these instruments and the rhythmic capabilities they so naturally manifest. Rather than leading the listener through a programmatic narrative, the soloist acts as a sort of constant between the evolving layers and textures throughout, much like the tesseract serves as a point of reference to the fourth dimension. This work draws notable inspiration from the hypnotic and visceral music of Nils Frahm, Dawn of Midi, and Alejandro Viñao.
 
Tesseract was commissioned by Matthew Geiger.

Tesseract (MIDI Recording)

UK Wildcat Marching Band show arrangement by Francisco Perez (drumline)

Skyfall (drumline with winds)

UK Wildcat Marching Band show drumline arrangement by Francisco Perez

Madonna "Four Minutes"

Four Minutes (drumline)

"National boundaries are not evident when we view the Earth from space. Fanatical ethnic or religious or national chauvinisms are a little difficult to maintain when we see our planet as a fragile blue crescent fading to become an inconspicuous point of light against the bastion and citadel of the stars."
- Carl Sagan, Cosmos 

In retrospect, I can easily note three main influences in Citadel of the Stars: my strong affinity for electronic music (recently, the likes of James Blake and Moderat), my deep admiration for the music of Alejandro Viñao (notably his use of multiple time and simultaneous voices), and my profound respect for Carl Sagan, which has grown significantly in recent years. This piece is a sort of homage to him and those who continuously search and explore the marvels of the universe.

Although this piece does not follow any specific formal structure, a few themes and motifs connect the five main sections, presented as quasi-variations rather than through programmatic means. Most notably, I have taken Sagan’s last name and exploited it for various uses including five sections for its five letters as well as its pitch-collection (S, fixed do-si/Bb; A, A natural; G, G natural; A, A natural; N, n for variable). Furthermore, an extensive use of echo is apparent throughout as my musical interpretation for the Einsteinian laws of gravitational relativity. Lastly, I’ve applied instances of “rhythmic curves” between various instruments and the sonic layers they create, inspired by the wormhole scene in Christopher Nolan’s film Interstellar. Put simply, a wormhole bends space-time and “distorts” our reality. I’ve lightly interpreted this into a rhythmic motive, occasionally blending with echo effects and dissipating melodic cells throughout the piece.

Citadel of the Stars was commissioned by Dr. Brian A. West and the TCU Percussion Orchestra.


Citadel of the Stars (MIDI)

Battery arrangement for the 2016 UK Wildcat Marching Band.

1812 Overture (drumline with winds)

Selva Luminosa (MIDI)

Commissioned by UTA Percussion Ensemble in 2017.

Available through Tapspace Publications November 2017.

Duende

John Hardin HS 2017 Ballad
Percussion arr. by Francisco Perez

Bjork Overture - John Hardin HS 2017(Percussion only)

John Hardin HS 2017
Percussion arr. by Francisco Perez

Zambra - John Hardin HS 2017 (excerpt)

Arranged for Lamar University Showcase of Southeast Texas (2018)

The Incredibles (Percussion)

Subdivisions & Invincible (Percussion Only)

Dust (Percussion Only)

Wind (Percussion Only)

Gail Force (Percussion Only)

"Monolith" for percussion orchestra

Commissioned by Francis Burke & the Lake Dallas HS Percussion Ensemble, premiered May 3, 2019

Available at www.perezperc.com.

Monolith (MIDI)

Commissioned by James Campbell for the PASIC 2019 Collegiate All-Star Percussion Ensemble.

Time Dilation (MIDI)

SoundCloud of percussionist and composer, Francisco Perez.

perezperc

Popular tracks