In Sanskrit, ‘Prakanda’ is the trunk of a tree, from its root to its branches. Additionally, it can mean ‘excellent’, ‘prominent’, ‘superior’ and ‘transcendent’.

I explored ideas about trees by listening to various artists’ recordings using contact microphones inside the trees. I also spent hours walking in ancient woodlands, listening and observing them. But I couldn’t find what I wanted until, by accident, I discovered the most beautiful images of tree-rings. They reminded me of the surface of a desert, the ocean, the patterns of water; the references might be endless. 

Each tree-ring has its own structure, form and appearance and they became my main source of inspiration. In the music I have mapped these images into many sonic patterns, the music’s structure based on independent melodic lines, each with its own time, pitch, timbre and articulation.

Video artist - Lukas Miceika 

The work was commissioned by the Lithuanian Association LATGA, by Music Authors Fund in 2025.

The piece was premiered by ensemble Kwartludium (Poland): Dagna Sadkowska (violin), Piotr Nowicki (piano), Michal Gorczynski (bass clarinet), and Pawel Nowicki (percussion) at International Contemporary Music festival Gaida, on 26th October, Vilnius, Lithuania, 2025.

Prakanda

Profile photo by © Martynas Aleksa

Each composition is based on the transformation of the various textile patterns or weaves into musical language. The methodology of mapping is concluded in PhD thesis at Durham University.  Textile patterns reflects distinct motions and atmosphere due its different structure and description. Indian ragas serves for the structure of harmony in order to construct a close relationship between sounds and textile patterns. Every Indian ragas has its own time, duration, specific mode of pitches as the textile patterns, which reflect various cultures and weaving methods.

New tracks tagged #Minimal, ambient, classical, contemporary, ensemble