Dronescape 8: The four Pillars of Reason is the tenth in a series of albums, containing contemporary Electronic Symphonies by Oscar van Dillen.

The work on this album was composed, created, and recorded January-March 2022.

Music and cover art were created by Oscar van Dillen.

Tracks

1. Identity                                    1:06:36
2. Opposition                               0:54:22
3. Analogy                                  0:52:23
4. Resemblance                           1:09:39

Total duration                            4:00:00

(…)

The four Pillars of Creation was strongly inspired by the works of the philosopher Gilles Deleuze, most specifically the titles of the parts refer to a passage in his major work Difference et Répétition. These four sections are not true parts in the sense of being separated beyond the mere tracks in this album: the work is conceived and composed in a single movement, a single musical form and gesture, lasting 4 hours. If 4 hours seem long, try working for 8 hours per day (or 16, as some composers do). Some people watch television or are gaming or are busy with (a)social media for longer, on a daily basis. So 4 hours should not be a problem for a civilization which guarantees enough leisure time on a daily basis. The span of 4 hours does pose a problem perhaps for those accustomed to do this and that, who are used to spend their life out of focus, dividing their attention as broadly and as fine cut in time slots as possible. Undivided attention is a skill which most of us actively unlearn in our youth or are untaught in our safe schools. We live our lives as if they were entertainment, instead of considering this a one-time chance at sense and fulfillment. In this sense, the single long duration of this work is simply unmodern and not fashionable, much too demanding for our pampered times, it is also a challenge: The four Pillars of Reason Challenge.

(…)

Form and counterform, to illustrate this beyond the all too obvious image of two profiles creating a vase in the middle, the composer made this small drawing in his sketchbook. Obviously, the word REASON is created by drawing with a pencil, but half of the letters are created indirectly, by leaving space open as 1221 or אבא. In a similar way, the music of Dronescape 8 should be heard.

(…)

During the finalizing phase of the compositional process, the unthinkable happens, and Reason is again abandoned or abused in the larger world of politics, leading to a new global war, and to more polarization between people, to complicated processes the end of which may not be so near, the scope of which none fully comprehend. This has affected the admission of fearsome and ominous sounds in the second half especially, but since they still fit the larger theme, the work likely benefitted from this sad fact. Isn’t it time the old man-made myths were abandoned, all of them, to make place for a new and freer reality in which all humans can share and grow?

See OIJRecords for full information