The point of departure for Dwaallicht is the dichotomy of distance and proximity, and the resulting sense of alienation from oneself and from others. The flutist is, as it were, seduced by an object from which sampled flute sounds lure him in. The flute here functions as a symbol of pure love. Dwaallicht is constructed around a constant process of attraction and repulsion—a tension that unmistakably relates to the dynamics of eroticism.

In Dwaallicht, the flutist recites two poems by Hans Faverey, which reveal the underlying theme of the work: the struggle between gnawing doubt and the ultimate inevitability of responding to the familiar call of something strange. The first poem also provides the raw musical material: the interval of the fifth.

The piece is largely based on stacked fifths, without truly tonal elements. At the climax of the interaction between flute and object, the fifths on the tape accumulate until the structure nearly bursts. The flutist responds in panic with rapid passages and wide leaps. When the tower of fifths on the tape ultimately collapses and destroys itself, the flutist withdraws inwardly, bringing the piece to a close.

The object, designed by visual artist Petra Mol, contains two small loudspeakers through which the tape is played. During the performance, the object is illuminated according to a precise lighting plan. The work may also be performed without the object. — Willem Jeths