Fire utilizes Messiaen's sixth mode of limited transposition in a free form structure. As I worked, the idea of angularity developed. This is contrasted with some chords that are derived out of the mode, mostly variations of dominant seventh chords. There is also a contrasting slower section of just a few measures. This one, like some of the other recent pieces, is closer to a transcription of an improvisation. I didn't set up any form parameters or anything besides the choosing of the mode.
Fire was fun to practice actually. The angular phrases needed a lot of repetition, and even with the practice, they didn't come out perfectly every time. I chose this take because I think the improvisation is good.
The titles of the last three pieces are taken from the Five Transformations. They are Tree, Fire, Soil, Metal, and Water. Each transformation has it's own characteristics. Tree energy moves upward, Fire is expansive, Soil moves downward, Metal is contractive, and Water is horizontal. Each transformation helps one other transformation and is helped by another, and each is antagonistic with a couple other transformations too. I've applied these terms as titles after the pieces have been finished, going with whichever one I feel is best represented by the vibe of the piece. Fire is definitely the cheesiest one to use as a title at this point in history, so I chose the cheesiest picture I could find as well for my soundcloud file.
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