I've thought a lot about the work of Luc Tuymans. This piece, which takes its title & inspiration from the Tuymans painting of the same name, was written for the Manhattan School of Music’s Tactus Ensemble. The ensemble is split into two identical groups playing a single chord. The chord is constantly re-orchestrated between the two groups, with Group 2 playing “reverse envelopes” (as though backwards). The combined effect of Group 1 playing normally & Group 2 playing in reverse creates a throbbing, sliding, underwater sound world. The last minutes of the piece dismantle some of the complicated textures to reveal an intense cello solo.