urfunk etude (1997) is for solo piano with or without electronics. In terms of the sequences of minimalist canonic material and the parallel alignments of pitch, rhythmic structure and register, it is a precursor to my string quartet Madra (1999) and other works. It also builds upon a particular piano technique that worked around my limitations as a self-taught pianist. It can be performed in the just intonation tuning heard here or in equal temperament. I gave the premiere performance in February 1997 at Love Salon, an informal monthly event held at Liminal Laboratory, an artists’ loft in a now demolished and rebuilt part of Toronto.
The piece was performed and recorded on my Korg 01/WFD workstation, technology which dates to 1991. With some minor score tweaks, the present audio is of the original sequence and effects played back to digital in 2022.
Composed and recorded December 1996–January 1997
Image from video by Carsten Knox, Liminal Laboratory, February 1997
Music and composer’s notes copyright Bruce A. Russell 2022
EL MAHBOOB 