Vibe Rant - composed by Holly Harrison
Vibe Rant not only refers to the abbreviated form of vibraphone: ‘vibes’, but also ‘rant’, which originally comes from the Dutch word ‘ranten’: to talk nonsense, connecting with my interest in Lewis Carroll’s nonsense literature. Together these words form ‘vibrant’, which is the overall mood of the piece. Like its earlier sister trio, Frogstomp (also written for Ensemble Offspring), Vibe Rant sets up a series of juxtapositions, creating a stylistic patchwork that embraces influences from vernacular genres including jazz, pop, hip-hop, dance, rock, and metal. Vibe Rant is written with three main moods in mind: rambunctious and cheeky, pitted against glimpses of a lighter, more ethereal and, perhaps, ‘cuter’ sound-world, and a darker passage inspired by rock and metal elements
Vibe Rant – film by Su-An Ng
A playful, abstract interpretation of a day in the life of an old squabbling couple. The quirks and nuances of this relationship is explored through a cacophonous world of shapes, colours and textures. Vibe Rant, is a visual response to the rhythmic energy of Holly Harrison’s original composition.
Holly Harrison (b.1988) is a composer from Western Sydney whose music embraces stylistic juxtapositions, the visceral energy of rock, and whimsical humour. Her work has been performed at festivals including Gaudeamus Muziekweek (NL), Young Composers’ Meeting (2014-16) (NL), Mizzou International Composers’ Festival (USA), and the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music (USA) and by Eighth Blackbird (USA) on a Musica Viva Australian Tour.
Su-An Ng is an animation filmmaker who works with various techniques in moving images. An award-winning animation graduate from the Emily Carr University of Art & Design, Su-An has shown her work in film festivals across Canada and internationally. She’s recently been selected for the 2018 Situate Arts Lab in Tasmania, Australia, where she will work towards developing concepts for large-scale public artwork.
Performed by Ensemble Offspring - Claire Edwardes (vibraphone), Jason Noble (clarinet/bass clarinet), Lamorna Nightingale (flute/piccolo)
Vibe Rant was commissioned by Ensemble Offspring’s Noisy Egg Creation Fund with the generous support of Penny Le Couteur and Greg Dickson and premiered in 2016 at Kontiki Racket.
Ensemble Offspring is assisted by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts advisory body, and the NSW Government through Create NSW.
We work and play on Gadigal Land.