Inspired by the revolutionary design of the Jacquard loom—an early 19th-century invention that used punch cards to automate the weaving of complex patterns—this string quartet explores the intersection of music, algorithm, and mechanised design. Often regarded as a forerunner to computer programming, the Jacquard loom serves as both metaphor and structural foundation for this composition. At the heart of the quartet lies a harmonic framework generated by a Lindenmayer system (L-system)—a rule-based algorithm originally developed to model the growth of repeatable patterns. This recursive process generates evolving harmonic sequences that underpin the piece’s form and progression. Layered atop this foundation, Markov chains guide the development of melodic material, crafting a sense of organic continuity and transformation while still operating within probabilistic constraints.
Musically, the quartet mirrors the mechanics of weaving. The "Warp"—the vertical threads that provide structure in a fabric—appears in the opening bars as a steady, grounding homophonic motif. In contrast, the "Weft", representing the continuously shifting horizontal threads, manifests through a web of polyrhythmic textures that emerge, recede, and reappear throughout the piece. This dynamic interplay between stability and flux creates a sonic tapestry in which material is sometimes foregrounded and at other times concealed—echoing the loom’s raising and lowering of threads to create intricate patterns. Throughout the piece, the use of pentatonic and blues scales serves as both a sonic and historical reference. These tonalities—rooted in African musical traditions — acknowledge the inescapable truth that the prosperity of the cotton industry, and the computational advances that grew from it, were made possible by the exploitation of enslaved people.
The quartet is both a homage to early computational thinking and an exploration of how algorithmic processes can yield expressive, human musical forms. Just as woven textiles hold complexity within their grids of thread, so too does this music reveal pattern, motion, and transformation within its interlaced voices.