Vol.32 Midnight Hookah
No. of Tracks: 4
Total Runtime: 70 min
Date of Creation: February 2017
This series of long keyboard improvisations is Part III of the Breakthrough Trilogy. Compared with the works from the previous two volumes, these four long works reach an even higher level of complexity. On the other hand, the musicality of these pieces appears to be more fragmented, which can be a drawback in certain ways. Nevertheless, the seriousness and weight of “Midnight Hookah” and “Flip That B**** Over” are unparalleled among all of my works from this period. What “Midnight Hookah” conveys is a euphorically intoxicated state of mind. Listening to this piece is like swimming in a filthy yet strangely purifying river, where the sense of self is gradually being dissolved and carried away. “Flip That B**** Over” is deceivingly simple yet profoundly solemn. Expressive melody lines and short phrases unexpectedly twist, turn, and swirl, seemingly going out of control, before seamlessly returning to the central themes. This improvisation is truly a long journey in terms of both its length and its emotional and philosophical depths that unfold throughout the piece. The extreme clarity and calmness of this piece actually indicate deep emotional and intellectual turbulence underneath the surface. The improviser seems to be expressing the most unbearable sadness while mocking that sadness at the same time. The return of the clear and bright synth sound at the end echoes the structure of Bach’s “Goldberg Variations”. The infinite complexity of this piece makes it one of the most significant masterworks I have ever created.