Amorphous Solid by Dave Hall

Amorphous Solid is an exploration of different physical states as they can be represented through musical texture. Furthermore, it’s an attempt to repurpose and reorder the traditional instrumentation of a Panorama-style steel band. Some of the instruments found in the “engine room” (brake drum, drumset, etc.) have been deconstructed and dispersed around the ensemble, and other metallic instruments like vibraphone and crotales augment the colors of the steel pans. The resultant ensemble and sound are reminiscent of a steel band, with just enough disorder injected to feel strange. At its core, the piece attempts to answer this question: “What happens when you melt a steel band?”