When I was commissioned to write this piece, the performers proposed that I draw abstract inspiration from the photo series Arena, sol y viento, taken by Lina Bastidas in La Guajira, northern Colombia. This region, inhabited by the Indigenous Wayuu community, has been severely affected by socio-environmental conflicts stemming from coal extraction by multinational corporations—leading to forced displacements and the diversion of vital water sources.
The piece arises from a reflection on the tensions between urban and rural spaces, between models of progress and other ways of inhabiting the world. I was interested in approaching the challenges faced by this community and aspects of its sonic universe—not through direct representation, but through a more abstract lens. Some timbres, in both the electronics and the instrumentation, are freely inspired by traditional Wayuu instruments. The structure of Entre las grietas alternates between sections of free tempo and near-vocal character, resembling a lament, and others with more marked rhythms and layered textures.
In the instrumental writing, I aimed to explore the expressive range of the double bass through register contrasts and extended sound production techniques. For both performers, I created space for interpretive freedom, inviting them to interact with each electronic track using small boxes of objects and materials.