Today’s Video of the Day is a performance of the 5^th movement of BLOOM recorded by Sandbox Percussion. Composer Michael Torke has teamed up with Sandbox Percussion, a Brooklyn-based percussion ensemble, to create BLOOM, a new piece composed for the group, and Torke’s first piece for percussion quartet alone.  

BLOOM uses a series of interlocking rhythms that create a groove when played together, using each player’s drums (non-pitched instruments), and vibraphone and marimbas (pitched). Torke said: ‘Just as shoots push through dirt erupting in blooms, so too do the vibes and marimbas burst forth from the drums. In other words, this music has an organic profile, unlike other recent pieces of mine.’

The world premiere performance of BLOOM will take place at The New School’s John L. Tishman Auditorium in New York on 11 December.  The world-premiere recording was released via Ecstatic Records on August 30. The Video was captured at Caramoor Centre for Music and Arts, Katonah, NY.

Sandbox Percussion is Victor Caccese (Vibraphone, Bongos), Jonny Allen (Vibraphone, Congas) Terry Sweeney (Marimba, Wooden Slats) and Ian Rosenbaum (Marimba, Tom-toms).