Bang on a Can

One of the very special things about the Bang on a Can All Stars is that they are an extremely advanced contemporary chamber group and a rock band at the same time, and therefore a statement against the segregation of stylistic schools: just my cup of tea. In "Glamour Girl", the drummer acts as a conductor of sorts, much like in a rock band. But the drumming is not in a standard rock style; it is based on a playing technique I initially developed for myself, featuring interlocking patterns that coalesce to form melodies of pitch and timbre, suggesting several different speeds at the same time. While it has been usual for Western music of the past 1000 years to employ several simultaneous melodies, leading to consonances, dissonances, and harmonies, most music has had only one tempo at a time. I try to create harmonies of tempo, consonances and dissonances of speed. Different parts interlock and hocket to complement each other, and there is no set beat. Select an instrument to focus your attention on, or indeed any one component of the drum set, and feel the beat wherever you want. This concept derives in part from certain styles of African music. Over the years, I've produced quite a bit of African music and these days have an electronica band in Burkina Faso, Burkina Electric; not only the rhythms, but also some of the melodies in "Glamour Girl", especially for the guitar, are influenced by these experiences. "Glamour Girl" looks in the mirror, as any glamour girl does - and every time she looks at herself, or every time you look at her, you see her in a new light. Maybe she has new makeup, the melodies are wearing a new dress of a different color, or she walks down the catwalk in a different rhythm. It is all in the eyes of the beholder. – Lukas Ligeti