beat for solo drum kit

"beat" is an innovative piece that combines elements of percussion, noise music, and technology. It consists of eight improvisational sections, real-time video control, and performer improvisations.

The piece was originally composed in 2011 for a seven-piece percussion ensemble and was later re-conceptualized by Martin Daigle, and Sylvain Pohu as a solo for drum kit and short film in 2022. The theme of the piece revolves around the various definitions of the word "beat." Of these definitions, the most well-known to musicians is the one that refers to grooves in many musics.

This piece, rooted in noise music, features free improvisations and beats that are a near-opposition to groove-based beats in accordance to noise. The composition features eight multimedia "tableaux" where the performer improvises with sound and video. The video component is controlled by the performer in real-time, allowing for the launch, modification, and looping of the video in response to the performance.