The System Made Me Do It is a cycle of nine pieces written to accompany the release of the book Russian Pendulum by Alena Ledeneva, a trailblazing exploration of the unseen forces that have shaped Russian politics and society. Responding to the paradoxes and recurring patterns identified in the text, Benjamin Woodgates’ music drifts between ambiguity and momentum, attraction and resistance, stasis and sudden change. Ideas recombine and propel themselves forward, creating textures that shimmer, pulse, teeter and fuzz with energy.

Performed by Calum Huggan and angela wai nok hui, the two marimbas act as both engine and echo chamber – resonant, volatile, and alive with motion – inviting the listener into a hypnotic world where structure and instability coexist.