This piece was commissioned by the Dutch Double Bass Festival for its 2023 edition. everything meant bliss in those days (or music for basses) is a 21-minute composition for 60 double basses and two percussionists. The work displaces the experience of concert music outside the hall, with the potential to reclaim other spaces such as churches, warehouses or foyers. Musically speaking, the piece is a long adagio focused on timbre and temporal perceptions, utilising recognisable harmonic structures that gradually vary in pitch, texture, and density.

music for basses had its premiere at Theatre Zuidplein in Rotterdam, conducted by Leon Bosch and performed by young musicians from Spain, The Netherlands, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Belgium and the United Kingdom.

This project was made possible thanks to contributions from the Prins Bernhard Cultural Fund and the VandenEnde Foundation.