Time Chamber

Time Chamber brings together eight original compositions by Monique Chao for her jazz orchestra. The composer’s programme notes connect the pieces with images of isolation, transformation, urban life, youthful imagination and personal remembrance.

Hollow. The opening piece reflects on the stage as an essential part of a jazz musician’s life. Without the possibility of performance, that life can feel empty, like the resonating space inside a drum.

Hyperbolic Time Chamber. The title refers to the training chamber in Dragon Ball, where time and gravity work differently. Written during the pandemic, the piece evokes musicians isolated at home, using an altered experience of time to practise and develop their abilities.

Women and Gravity. An imaginative reflection on gravity and its absence, the piece plays with the possibility of familiar things, including numbers, floating free of their usual order.

Melting City. The modern city becomes a bubbling pot of encounters and contradictions. Contrasting energies and colours coexist in a crowded musical landscape.

Whale Fall. When a whale dies and sinks to the ocean floor, its remains sustain a new ecosystem. This image of one life giving nourishment to others inspires a meditation on transformation and the continuity of life.

Trophy. Youth, adventure and the experience of losing and winning shape this piece. Its title suggests that the experience of being young can itself become a lasting prize.

Chakra Marching. The Sanskrit word chakra, meaning wheel, and its associations with centres of energy meet the imaginative world of Naruto, where chakra is essential to the practice of ninjutsu.

Chester Is Boss. A tribute to Chester Bennington (1976-2017), the singer of Linkin Park, remembering the expressive force of his voice and music.

Recorded on 12 and 13 July 2023 at Officine Meccaniche Recording Studios, Milan, Italy. Recording engineer: Giuseppe Salvadori. Mixing and mastering: Jason Huang. Producer: Monique Chao. Cover design: Lilia Kirilova.