Working from scores resembling an amalgamation of Earle Brown's December 1952 and Four Systems, crossbred with the artwork of Barry Le Va and the nouveau minimal designs associated with the lowercase movement, Doherty applies strict Cage-like procedures in both performance and post production to create 3 similar works each lasting approximately 4 minutes and 33 seconds. Yeah, sounds familiar. Lucky for us the whole project somehow avoids the smack of hero worship, instead treading an uncertain ground between homage and something kinda new—something recalling that heyday of the avant-garde when "new" was an absolute battle cry.

Even though Doherty titles his works "Noise Pieces," the name alone is not enough to shake the shackles of a musical context. Actually these recordings are far from noise. Texture, pitch, rhythm, and harmony all contribute an even hand to the artifact. Spiritually and sonically, these pieces are the equally nerdy brother-in-law of Nicholas Brooke's earth shattering Regina 15-1/2, minus the "God Save the Queen" references. But in the end it's good to know that young composers aren't just fortifying themselves on the embalming fluid of composer-gods, or toppling monuments for kicks, rather the brave amongst them are stepping out of the formidable shadows and plugging in their blenders to mix their own potent cocktail soused with a ripening past and future.