ICD-11: Bc9z

ICD-11 Bc9z is an intense and rhythm-driven work for bassoon and live electronics, composed by Ramin Amin Tafreshi and Soheil Shayesteh. The title ICD-11 Bc9z refers to a specific condition within the International Classification of Diseases (WHO), denoting "Cardiac Arrhythmia," a disorder of the heart's rhythm. Therefore, the rhythmic patterns in the piece are, both literally and figuratively, inspired by the irregularities inherent in such disorders.

To achieve the unpredictability characteristic of an arrhythmia, the piece is partly written in an aleatoric mobile form, granting the performer freedom in interpreting and choosing the order and execution of the musical fragments. Additionally, the electronics process the sound of the bassoon live during the performance, which adds an extra layer of unpredictability that is unique in each performance. The vast sound spectrum—from pitched tones to percussive noises—and the vivid colour palette of the electronics are purely derived from the sound of Thomas’s bassoon and represent an artistic search in finding new sonic possibilities for the bassoon.

The collaboration between Thomas, Ramin, and Soheil was initiated after Thomas travelled to Kashan, a historic city in Iran, where he experienced Persian culture and music. This encounter became the starting point of seven years of friendship and resulted in the creation of this work. Though distant, the ornamented fragments, pitch materials, and syncopated rhythms are inspired by Persian music, interpreted freely by Ramin and Soheil through their cultural backgrounds.