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This Steve Reich visualisation will melt your musical mind

11 August 2016, 21:38 | Updated: 11 August 2016, 21:39

Steve Reich's minimalist masterpiece Piano Phase is enough to fry both your ears and your conventional musical sensibilities. Add a simple graphical visualisation and it's even more mind-bendingly beautiful.

Sometimes the most complex things are also weirdly. Steve Reich's Piano Phase was composed in 1967 for either two pianos or piano and tape. It explores the technique of phasing: essentially the same motif is played in two parts, in a steady but non-identical tempo, gradually shifting out of unison and eventually back again.

Graphic designer and musician Alexander Chen has created this stunning visualisation of the music and structure of the work. Alexander also has other beautiful visualisations and projects on his website and Vimeo channel.

But here's the Reich:

Pianophase.com from Alexander Chen on Vimeo.

And if that's not enough for you, imagine a SOLO performance of it, in front of the composer.