Biorhythalead (Octoccata part 4)

[Christopher Stewart]

("8" by gui.tavares)

The fourth movement from « Octoccata » is entitled « Biorhythalead. » Its title came about from the markers I used to identify each of the sub-sections of the composition.

After a transition reminiscent of « Nothing To Lose » from UK's « Danger Money, » the music moves into a passage featuring contrasting lines that ascend and descend in alternation, thus making the partition (particularly the « Piano Roll » view in SONAR, the MIDI sequencing software I use) look like a biorhythm chart.

At about two-thirds into the movement, the thumping theme of « Lethal Lead » takes over and treads mercilessly until its climax which is followed by a brief interlude of suspended animation that bridges the gap to « Reoctoverture. »

Oblivious to this talk about music matters and the origin of names, our dear friend the pitchman is still hard at work, hoping to impress his audience with his presentation of O·c·t·a·T·o·n·i·c, the Miraculous Mixture of Doctor Paul E. Graf...

When your headache will not remit
Your discomfort it does abate
When you self-inflict one bad slit
The blood it does coagulate
When your arrhythmia won't quit
It stabilizes your heart rate
When you're inclined to throw a fit
It pacifies your mental state

« Octoccata » is an instrumental suite clocking in at a little over 16 minutes. The title comes from the combination of octatonic and toccata, and is inspired by Emerson, Lake & Palmer‘s adaptation of the fourth movement of Alberto Ginastera‘s first piano concerto, which they published on their « Brain Salad Surgery » album under the title « Toccata. »

The original intent behind this composition featuring intensive use of octatonic scales was simply to « make some noise. » While the music wasn't built around it, a narrative finally came into existence when I considered how to best present the piece. From the word « octatonic » stood out the word « tonic, » and that became the seed from which stemmed the idea of O·c·t·a·T·o·n·i·c, the miracle remedy to all ailments, infused with a touch of octatonine, and carefully brewed by a certain doctor Paul E. Graf, no doubt a good person enjoying an enviable reputation among his scientist peers, or maybe not...