Aart Strootman builds up Steve Reich live, layer by layer.
In Electric Counterpoint (1987), Steve Reich constructs a layered structure from repeating guitar patterns. Originally, Pat Metheny recorded all the parts in advance and added one layer live. Aart Strootman performs and records everything on the spot. With his back to the audience, he works through an enlarged score, layer by layer. The piece unfolds in real time into almost four hours of music. In this way, Reich's technique becomes tangible: from clear and transparent to a rich, complex soundscape, at times almost organ-like. The Steve Reich Marathon reveals the precise construction of a musical tapestry of rhythm, harmony, and shifting accents.