
NOCLIP (2026) is a piece in five movements for Soprano solo, SATB choir and chamber orchestra based on the concept of the backrooms: a meme that blew up on the internet in early 2022, originating on a 4-Chan trend.
The original image was captioned as such: "If you're not careful and you noclip out of reality in the wrong areas, you'll end up in the Backrooms, where it's nothing but the stink of old moist carpet, the madness of mono-yellow, the endless background noise of fluorescent lights at maximum hum-buzz, and approximately six hundred million square miles of randomly segmented empty rooms to be trapped in. God save you if you hear something wandering around nearby, because it sure as hell has heard you..."
The piece does not attempt to depict a literal narrative. Instead, it explores the atmosphere and psychological implications of being trapped in such a space. The soprano plays as a woman who has "noclipped" into the backrooms, and is slowly losing her mind, before coming to acceptance with her new reality. The music feels sparse and unsettlingly intimate due to the choice of a smaller ensemble, creating a more "chamber" setting.
There are references to the caretaker's soundtrack, It's Just a Burning Memory – taken originally from Al Bowlly’s Heartaches; a track that was closely associated with the backrooms when it spread on the internet.
Wonderfully recorded and mixed by the Audio Nomads (Franklin Onyeso and Benedict Blythe) https://www.audionomads.co.uk/
Soprano Soloist: Jessica Kneeshaw
Piccolo 1: Grace Unwin-Smith
Flute 1/Piccolo 2: Laura Jones
Flute 2/Alto Flute: Lia Schondorf
Oboe: Emilia Cristina Gahan
Clarinet: Lily Hesper-Dugdale
Bass Clarinet: Alex Scott
Bassoon 1: Eli Massey
Bassoon 2: Bonna Yoon
Horn 1: Robyn Verney-Kershaw
Horn 2: Georgia Paxton
Trumpet: Tobias Isabella Amadio
Tuba: Yuval Avni
Percussion 1: Ng Hoi Yin
Percussion 2: Alex Freeman
Percussion 3: Matthew Kosciecha
Harp: Rosie Scott
Keys: Ruvin Meda
Sopranos: Sille Gulette Bresden Gullbek, Began moffitt, Effie Stewart
Altos: Liz Kirov, Amelie Mack, Weng Yee
Tenors: Adi Grant, Carrissa Gyimah, Yiran Qiu
Basses: Rory Douglas, Lorenzo Rodaro, Lachlan Seymour
Violins 1: Peter Ryan, Laura Guttierreez Muurisepp, Lily An, Sophie Chung
Violins 2: Arianna Cossey, Qinhan Li, Libi Winterstein, Alice Younger
Violas, Jemimah Davis, Henry Goodwin Hitt, Lotti Vitaloni, Evelyn Freeman
Cellos: Gabe Ward, Ella Beth, Ezra Escobar, Daniel Yiu
Basses: Maylee Velasco, Will Priest, Karter Williams