This is a modular piece that stems out of 12 themed improvisations I have recorded on my saxophones in October 2025. These improvisations are inspired by the mechanical sounds produced by some microtonal dyads, as well as various fingering patterns that I use as an improviser. These sounds, because of their hectic, fast and uncontrolled rhythms, reminded me of the erratic flying of bees. I then imagined different ‘mechanical’ bees, with distinct roles within the hive and personal behavioural and timbral characteristics. After drafting a rough plan for how techniques and melodic patterns applied to each bee could interlock with each other, I recorded a series of 12 free improvisations (which I plan to transcribe to create flexible improvisation instructions on how to replicate a similar set for other interpreters).
videos of all the individual improvisations are available in this link
The planned common yet distinctive musical gestures played by each bee allow them to interact with each other in any order. The piece could be played as a set of solos by a single performer (either individually or over-layered by digital means), by a small group as saxophone trio/quartet, or by a large saxophone ensemble. Entries, order, and length of each bee can be improvised on the spot to create unique combinations. To give an example of such possibilities, I have edited two different and contrasting versions using the same unredacted solos. The two versions are available on my SoundCloud and YouTube channels respectively.