Hatchet Job blends contemporary classical techniques with sludge rock and noise art to expand the pallet of solo instrumental performance and reimagines the form for the modern day. Both performer and composer have extensive experience with electronic music making, which they are combining in a collaborative, iterative process to bring the work to life.

Hatchet Job will take the form of a series of short etudes for viola, exploring the new frontiers of playing techniques, with the inclusion of effects and amplifiers into the signal chain. From the use of guitar picks to polyphonic delays that elongate phrases, which overlap one to the next. The primary sound is that of a driven guitar amp, which drastically affects how the instrument responds to different bowings and playing styles, impacting how the player approaches the performance. The piece explores how this haptic feedback influences how the instrument is written for and strives to open up new avenues in solo instrumental writing.

For RNCM and Drake Music.