Kraig Grady

Epic 45-minute microtonal composition by Kraig Grady, using a 17-tone scale, the Meta-Slendro tuning, created by Erv Wilson. Composed in 2020. The instruments were specially built or adapted for the unusual tuning system.

"The idea of Monuments came from the sound of the brass, in which I include the saxophone here. Brass seems to be used much less in newer music than strings, winds and percussion which is unfortunate. Since they are used less than strings or winds in new music, they seem to invite exploration. Working with these instruments invoked sensations of large spaces, forces of gravity, crystalline solidity, and the aeons of time. Here I had exceptionally talented players to work with. As I have always associated music with ‘space’ and places like Anaphoria Island, this piece evokes an environment of monuments, ruins that still house some souls within their buried histories. Diamonds reflect the treasures of earth, but there is also the tuning structure Harry Partch used in this case. I have never been attracted to his tuning, but somehow in the course of the piece, I unexpectedly found myself working with small diamond-like structures, so there is a play on words". - Kraig Grady

“Ethereal harmonies rub together like raw silk” - Greg Burk