Distorted Reality

Program note

Danny de Graan's "Distorted Reality" is a provocative and timely exploration of the pervasive influence of fake news and social media on our perception of truth. Employing the innovative 31-tone equal temperament (31-TET) system and spectral composition techniques, de Graan crafts a sonic landscape that mirrors the complexity and distortion of modern information dissemination.

"Distorted Reality" unfolds in a series of interconnected movements, each transitioning seamlessly through extensive glissandi. These sweeping slides between pitches create an ever-shifting harmonic terrain, reflective of the fluid and often unstable nature of information in the digital age. The use of 31-TET microtones allows for a richness and variety in pitch that is unattainable in traditional 12-tone equal temperament, facilitating subtle nuances and shades of dissonance and consonance.

The composition's spectral techniques further enhance its thematic content. By focusing on the overtone series and the resonance of each instrument, de Graan delves into the inner workings of sound, drawing a parallel to the way social media algorithms dissect and manipulate content to influence public perception. The result is a piece that is as much an auditory experience as it is a conceptual statement.