Eight Oh Eight

for solo percussion and electronics
commissioned by a consortium directed by Adam Groh

Eight Oh Eight (2011) for solo percussion and live audio processing was commissioned by Adam Groh (project coordinator), Justin Alexander, Jason Baskin, Tim Briones, Luke Hubley, Scott Quade, Owen Weaver, and Andrew Worden. The work pays homage to the TR-808 drum machine, which was first introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980. The TR-808 has earned a cult status with musicians worldwide through its use on countless pop and hip-hop recordings.

In Eight Oh Eight, the percussionist is challenged to synchronize with a series of live loops of varying length, which overlap and shift in seemingly unpredictable ways. The percussionist determines many aspects of the work, including the instrumentation, form, and improvised solos. Although most of the audio material is created in real-time, the unmistakable samples of the TR-808 appear in several places, most notably in the middle mallet section.