David Dramm

Was born in 1961 in Illinois and grew up in San Diego, California. He began his compositional studies with Robert Erickson at the University of California, San Diego, and continued with Louis Andriessen and Earle Brown at Yale University. His music has been performed throughout Europe and elsewhere including such events as OFreunde Guter Musik1 in Berlin, OWoch Der Niederländischen Musik1 in Leipzig, the Holland Festival, Dutch Music Days, New Music Days in Tallinn and the 'Time of Music' Festival in Helsinki. Recent commissions have included works for asko Ensemble, Orkest de Volharding, the Albany Symphony, Tomoko Mukaiyama, Aurelia Saxophone Quartet, Frances-Marie Uitti and Scapino Ballet. He collaborates regularly with flautist Anne La Berge, filmmaker David Lammers, and the Zurich-based ensemble Steamboat Switzerland. Among his larger works, the hour-long Orange Slice for nine musicians has been performed at prominent festivals such as Moers (Germany), November Music (Holland, Germany and Belgium) and the 2003 expo in Biel. Dramm1s daringly unconventional pop arrangements for artists such as John Cale and jxl have been widely broadcast and recorded. Recent premieres include Baton Rouge Massacre for electra in London1s Queen Elizabeth Hall and
a new chamber opera, The Doubled-backed Monster with a libretto by acclaimed novelist/poet Hafid Bouazza (first performances in Rotterdam and Amsterdam). Recordings of Dramm1s music are available on BVHaast, Vanguard Classics, Einstein, Composer1s Voice and ax-or. He lives and works in Amsterdam.

Selected works: by for two amplified flutes (1986), c/ch for percussion (1987), There are two forms of aging for piano (1988), I Call You On The Saprophone for voice solo (1988), Art Songs for voice, six electric guitars, bass guitar and percussion (1991­92), Sleep for voice and chamber ensemble (1991), Come True for saxophone quartet (1992), Master Bop Blaster for rap and saxophone quartet (1992), Into My Heart for voice, amplified flute and two mono synthesizers (1993), The Stroke That Kills for guitar trio (1993), The Pretty Vacant Variations for two voices and ensemble (1994), Beebe Lake Ice Cut for music-box (1993), Generator for hardanger violin (1996), Music for OFeniks1 for solo voices and chamber ensemble (1996), Big Sleep for voice, stepping dancer and string ensemble (1996), Mind River for voice and chamber ensemble (1995­97), High Octane for voice and large ensemble of amplified instruments (1997), Photekemical for eight percussionists (1998), Silver Slipper Waltz II for voice, electric guitar, double-bass, percussion and live electronics (1998), Encoding Brian for ensemble and live electronics (1998), The Hammerhead Arias for voice, amplified flute, electric guitar, saxophone quartet and tape (1999), Medusa Runs the Voodoo Down for two pianos and live electronics (2000), Orange Slice for ensemble of amplified instruments and live electronics (2000), Mudskipper for amplified violin and electric guitar (2001), OLove to Love You Baby1 Variations for amplified recorders quartet (2001), Helen Barbara for amplified ensemble (2001), Symphony 01 for large orchestra (2001), Baton Rouge Massacre for soprano, violin, recorder and percussion (2002), Month of Ghosts for amplified voice, radio receiver and tape (2003), Het Monster met de Twee Ruggen (The Double-Backed Monster), chamber opera (2003).

Zero Roll begins with a short electric guitar Oconcerto1 played, very loosely speaking, in the style of Duane Eddy (Peter Gunn). The ensemble plays mostly chords which move in and out of the sound of an extremely slowed-down single phrase of a blues harmonica. The effect sometimes resembles that of a Japanese sho, or mouth organ. In the second part, the ensemble responds with a series of tricky canons. At the end, the guitar starts a new variation on his melody but is cut off by ensemble. At this point, the piece suddenly freezes and over six minutes, through ambient, dissonant chords and electronic pulsing, gradually finds its way back to the canons. In the fourth part, the guitar takes up where it left off. The end of each phrase is echoed by other instruments to create an Oaccompaniment1. Zero Roll ends with an optional Ocoda1 for guitar, Hammond B-3 synthesizer and soundtrack. It can be performed either at the end or anywhere on the program before the rest of the piece. Zero Roll is about bending, curves and speed. When a car goes around a curve, the faster it goes, the more likely it is to turn over or Oroll1. The hydraulic system of certain sports cars try to attain Ozero roll1 so that all four wheels stayed upright as the car goes through a turn. One such car is the Citroën cx, which can often be seen racing across the flatlands of Holland, driven by the conductor/flautist of De Ereprijs, Wim Boerman.
In looking at the car, I thought of guitarist Duane Eddy1s style of bending a note and the aesthetics of electric guitar design, which have a great deal in common with sports car design.

Zero Roll was commissioned by the De Ereprijs for Warsaw Autumn 2003 and choreographer Ewelina Sojecka. It is dedicated to Wim Boerman and guitarist Paul Vos. Special thanks to Tadeusz Wielecki for his support of this project. Duration: 24 min.
David Dramm