In Synecdoche, there are eight basic sound events, five synthesized pitches, and three percussion samples. Two tempos increase at different rates, creating the form. As the tempo increases, out of the range where we perceive rhythm, each note is heard less as a distinct event and as more of a single sound with a shifting timbre. Synecdoche explores the limits of human rhythmic perception.
The piece uses self-similarity as found in nature—an object constructed entirely by repeated application of a single procedure. Self-similarity is reflected through the use of tempo changes. The listener may hear the faster tempo as a different event, but directly relates to the tempo in beginning of the piece.