for tenor or alto saxophone & backing track (2025)
Outrun
This work was commissioned by and is dedicated to Andrew Smith as part of his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Sydney, undertaken within the research study Curating repertoire for senior high school saxophonists in NSW.
score and recording coming soon...
Program Note
Outrun draws on the glossy nostalgia of 1980s and 90s video games and their music, a world of neon horizons, endless roads, pixelated sunsets, and punchy yet dreamlike soundtracks. Inspired by the sun-drenched paintings of Hiroshi Nagai and the lush, retro-futuristic world of synthwave, the piece places the saxophone at the centre, accompanied by an electronic backing track. We zoom through a series of different scenes, united by driving rhythms and soaring melodic lines. The aim is to evoke a slightly hazy sense of memory, like cruising through an imagined past that never quite existed but still feels vivid and real.
Outrun draws on the glossy nostalgia of 1980s and 90s video games and their music, a world of neon horizons, endless roads, pixelated sunsets, and punchy yet dreamlike soundtracks. Inspired by the sun-drenched paintings of Hiroshi Nagai and the lush, retro-futuristic world of synthwave, the piece places the saxophone at the centre, accompanied by an electronic backing track. We zoom through a series of different scenes, united by driving rhythms and soaring melodic lines. The aim is to evoke a slightly hazy sense of memory, like cruising through an imagined past that never quite existed but still feels vivid and real.