VIDEO PREMIERE: ‘Substratum’ by Jeff Snyder

by Gabriela Tedeschi

It’s unusual, perhaps unheard of, to pair a pedal steel guitar with a traditional string quartet. But composer Jeff Snyder does just that in his piece “Substratum,” from his upcoming album Concerning the Nature of Things.

Combining seemingly discordant elements is central to Snyder’s style. His new album draws inspiration from a wide array of sources: Brazilian rhythms, medieval polyphony, and contemporary experimental music, to name just a few. It also features electronic instruments that Snyder invented and built himself.

“Substratum” begins with each instrument contributing one sustained note at a time, sometimes leaving pockets of suspenseful silence, and other times overlapping to create unsettling harmonies and unexpected timbral combinations. When the piece gains energy, the instruments unleash eerie melodies that clash and intertwine. The result is a creepy, but rich and captivating flurry of sound.

“Substratum” was written for Susan Alcorn and the Mivos Quartet, who perform it here in a brand new video directed by Caroline Key.


Jeff Snyder’s new album Concerning the Nature of Things comes out Nov. 9. Click here to learn more.

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