Scott Oshiro

Deciphering Broken Rhythms explores new approaches to jazz improvisation through an Afrofuturistic lens, drawing connections between improvisation, quantum physics, and the cosmos. Building on the philosophies of artists such as Alice and John Coltrane, Sun Ra, and Donald Harrison, the project reimagines jazz as a liberation technology for Black communities—a concept articulated by Moor Mother—rather than a form confined to academic institutions.

The project will culminate in a live performance by the Deciphering Broken Rhythms Collective, a jazz ensemble performing original compositions that blend jazz, hip-hop, and electronic music. The performance incorporates computer-based improvisation systems developed using quantum computing, whose unique properties—superposition, entanglement, and interference—allow for the simultaneous exploration of countless musical patterns, rhythms, and interactions. Applying these quantum principles to jazz opens new insights into the nature of improvisation while expanding its expressive possibilities.

The work also examines how emerging technologies can support cultural liberation and narrative expansion for communities of color, rather than contribute to displacement and gentrification. Compositions will draw inspiration from quantum biological and cosmological phenomena and their relationship to Black health, resilience, and futurity. One piece is inspired by research linking anti-Black racism to shortened telomere length, translating quantum biological processes into interactive musical systems. Through these methods, Deciphering Broken Rhythms imagines multiple sonic universes that gesture toward healing, resistance, and more expansive futures for African Americans.