AMPULEX COMPRESSA by perf. Ava Mendoza, comp. Trevor Dunn

"Writing for a solo instrument opens the thought process up to limitless possibilities and I find myself, in some programmatic way, thinking about the lone wolf; the unique individual acting on and for its own agenda.
About halfway through writing this piece for Ava, a recent interest in behavior-altering parasites started to suggest the jewel wasp. I wouldn't say there is any direct musical correlation to this ruthless, calculating insect other than a sense of drive and focus. Perhaps the small intervals represent stealth in a diminutive world. The form of the piece could certainly be retro-analyzed to coordinate with the stages of the wasps multi-tiered game of zombifying it's host leading to the latter being eaten alive by freshly hatched larvae. These things did not directly inform the abstract music but were probably injected in some way (sorry for the pun). The low E string is tuned down to Eb yielding some dissonant harmonics combinations. I also tried to convey a sense of melody, however buried, that could represent the colorful, brutal habits of this creature." - Trevor Dunn

"I heard some of Trevor's solo contrabass music, and I liked it and felt there were some commonalities in our writing and approach. So I asked him to write a solo guitar piece for me. At the time I thought he was my friend. When he handed me the music for this, and I knew he was my enemy.
It took real work and time to be able to play all the detailed, close intervals up to tempo and get the harmonics to pop out. I don't know any other guitar music that sounds like this and am proud to be part of its birth. Now, there are rumors of an Ampulex Compressa Mvmt 2.0, and they keep me awake at night!" - Ava Mendoza

AVA MENDOZA is a Brooklyn-based guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. Her guitar work has received acclaim for its technique and viscerality. She is best known as leader of experimental rock band Unnatural Ways, and as a solo performer on guitar/voice. Performing/recording credits include work with Carla Bozulich, Fred Frith, Malcolm Mooney, Mike Watt, Nels Cline, John Zorn, and Negativland.