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Using code with music
 

offline w M w from London (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-11 08:34 [#00214836]
Points: 21423 Status: Regular



This has to be the best way to go, if you know how to do it
properly. You would hardly be limited. Too bad I don't know
how to use it now. You could just program general
instructions, then the computer will do all the work for
you. I want to use code to make things THAT make things. I
guess the music software that's out there is already better
than anything I could really dream up but you could tweak it
and stuff and do some generally insane things with code I
think, but actually don't even know too much about how it
works.


 

offline korben dallas from nz on 2002-05-11 08:41 [#00214841]
Points: 4605 Status: Regular



^ like the stuff rdj and booth/brown are said to
utilise/make ?

mmhh.. some laws about percussion etc. and melodies could
result in some interesting results.

change the laws for a different style, or with a random
number generator, have the same style, but different song ..
mmhhh..


 

offline Zeus from San Francisco (United States) on 2002-05-11 08:43 [#00214844]
Points: 14042 Status: Lurker



wait... you want to make a software that makes music for
you? thats crap

-Zeus


 

offline korben dallas from nz on 2002-05-11 08:52 [#00214863]
Points: 4605 Status: Regular



^ not necessarily .. only if it sounds crap!

if you think about it .. it would probably take a lot more
time and effort to figure out the laws that make something
sound decent [not that this makes it any better] .. than
actually compose something. I'm not saying composing music
the 'conventional' way is crap .. but does it matter how it
was produced? isn't using a computer cheating? then isn't
using an instrument cheating if you didn't build it
yourself? but then how do you record it?


 

offline korben dallas from nz on 2002-05-11 08:53 [#00214864]
Points: 4605 Status: Regular



surely its about the end product .. how that sounds!

i would think so mos-def


 

offline jupitah from Minneapolis (United States) on 2002-05-11 09:08 [#00214887]
Points: 3489 Status: Lurker



if you make the software, write the code, it'd be a bit like
designing a very comlex and personalized instrument.


 

offline john is fast from sacramento (United States) on 2002-05-11 09:26 [#00214904]
Points: 638 Status: Regular



a program that could create music from scratch would be a
different approach and possibly even a challenge to our
conventional musical/artistic thinking. makes you wonder
what we like about music. the fact that it was made by a
person with a heart? or the sound and nothing more? i think
it would be highly interesting if not anything else. and if
you could take something randomly generated and then chop it
up and do things with it then youd be adding a human heart
to it and that would be wonderful.
i have means of making extremely random drum beats that dont
follow a set rhythm or even tempo sometimes, which is
interesting and sometimes i can listen for a long time, but
in the end i have to chop it up and make it human and more
musical.
randomness plays a big part in alot of the more experimental
electronic music. the concept behind experimenting is to
see what happens when you do something and then put it to
use.


 

offline korben dallas from nz on 2002-05-11 09:29 [#00214907]
Points: 4605 Status: Regular



mmm.. true .. but even people with a heart (ie. that don't
use such programs) can create really cold music. I think it
comes down to the intention of the artist.

using such a program doesn't have to (imo) restrict one to
cold digital bit crushed sounds?

but yeah .. would be interesting to have a proggy like that
.. man .. what i wouldn't give to get my hands on something
like that :)


 

offline john is fast from sacramento (United States) on 2002-05-11 09:40 [#00214921]
Points: 638 Status: Regular



oh i didnt say it would be cold, it would just have to be
looked at as a completely different approach to music. good
or bad.
but if you think about it the music would only be as good as
the direction and "musical theory" you gave it. so in that
sense it would be guided by you in some form.
if you made it too smart youd end up getting computers
making hit records and then they would take over the pop
charts.


 

offline korben dallas from nz on 2002-05-11 09:44 [#00214923]
Points: 4605 Status: Regular



^ sounds like a bit of a conspiracy theory ..

i guess it would affect the perception of artists more than
the perception of the music. the artists being viewed as
programmers opposed to composers is bound to be a bit
strange.

i don't know if i'd listen to the music any differently tho
.. might make live shows quite interesting tho .. mmhh.. :)


 

offline john is fast from sacramento (United States) on 2002-05-11 09:53 [#00214927]
Points: 638 Status: Regular



i honostly dont think it would be possible to make a program
that could create good music from scratch. at some point
you would be putting in your ideas and slightly telling it
what to do and then its not just the computer anymore its
you too. like telling it you like a sound or dont like a
sound. making it make certain kinds of sounds. even
deciding what parts should be louder and what not. i think
when you start to do that you lose the original idea of a
computer making music by itself.


 

offline john is fast from sacramento (United States) on 2002-05-11 09:55 [#00214928]
Points: 638 Status: Regular



what would be interesting is a program that could random
loops off your computer and mix them.
have one directory for drum loops, one for bass, one for
synths, one for random whatevers. and then a 4 track random
loop sequencer each one selecting a file in its designated
directory. and every 8 or 16 measures it selects a new file
so the song keeps changing. that would be spactacular
actually.


 

offline jand from Braintree (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-11 10:02 [#00214929]
Points: 5975 Status: Moderator | Show recordbag



Have you guys ever looked into Koan?...it's a bit of
software that produces Generative Music i.e. music that
generated as it goes along from parameters you enter...

Eno released an album as a series of Koan tracks on a floppy
disc a few years back...give me a few mins and I'll sort you
out some links to check out...


 

offline Paco from Gothenburg (Sweden) on 2002-05-11 10:04 [#00214930]
Points: 2659 Status: Lurker



I know atleast one program that generates random music,
Koan. I tried it back in 95 or something. It just made these
calm Eno-like pieces. I think Eno was involved in the
designing or something.

-P



 

offline jand from Braintree (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-11 10:05 [#00214931]
Points: 5975 Status: Moderator | Show recordbag



check out this section of Google...

http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Multimedia/Musi... ...

& especially...

http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Multimedia/Musi... ...



 

offline Paco from Gothenburg (Sweden) on 2002-05-11 10:05 [#00214932]
Points: 2659 Status: Lurker



Hehe spooky!


 

offline w M w from London (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-11 10:06 [#00214933]
Points: 21423 Status: Regular



I was thinking of it more as an extended very useful tool.
The computer wouldn't just make stuff all by itself, you'd
have to instruct it, the ideas would still come from you,
you're still the artist, but now your tool is very elastic.
You'd be able to realize ideas that would be illogical or
time consuming to do in someone else's program. (we pretty
much all use code already, .. the software we use... we just
didn't make it)

For an example of what code can do visually at least check
out www.geocities.com/autocatalysis the "code" section. It
would probably be really hard to make complex insane stuff
work properly in a way the retarded computer understands
though, so you'd still be limited unless you were a wizard
at it. I don't know how to use it, but think I'll learn how
someday. Doesn't richard devine use it for his songs or
something? I remember reading he was some computer student
or something. or something.


 

offline jand from Braintree (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-11 10:10 [#00214934]
Points: 5975 Status: Moderator | Show recordbag



ENO's Generative music album details ...

Info on Koan........



 

offline w M w from London (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-11 10:12 [#00214935]
Points: 21423 Status: Regular



I never heard of koan, I'll check it out. There were some
randomish/"fractal" music releases by forest fang and robert
rich but they weren't that great probably because the
artists didn't use it in interesting ways... I bet autechre
has to use some sort of weird coded stuff. The "human
element" doesn't really ever get subtracted, like there's no
heart in it or something. We made the computers themselves,
these weird artificial sounds would never have the
possibility of being created without human
thought/invention.


 

offline jand from Braintree (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-11 10:12 [#00214937]
Points: 5975 Status: Moderator | Followup to Paco: #00214932 | Show recordbag



Great minds think alike, my friend :)...

Just about to have a smoke and a read of this talk by ENO all about Generative music
......ahhh, the pleasures of Sat morning without a hangover
:)..



 

offline korben dallas from nz on 2002-05-11 10:30 [#00214946]
Points: 4605 Status: Regular



^ cheers jand ... checking now .


 

offline jand from Braintree (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-11 10:46 [#00214953]
Points: 5975 Status: Moderator | Show recordbag



no problem...it's an area that's always fashinated me; I'm a
programmer at heart and Code & Music have always been pretty
closely intertwined in my head...I can def find similar
aestetic pleasure in a good bit of code & a good piece of
music so this thread immediately caught my eye...

I had so much fun as a kid writing assmebler on the Spectrum
trying to get some decent sound of it, pretty tricky as it
only had a piezo speaker that could only be on or off
(imagine a 1-bit sampler...)...I sooo wish I still had some
of that shit...

oh yeah.. as always, Soulseek is your friend if you
wanna try Koan out BTW...



 

offline jand from Braintree (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-11 10:53 [#00214956]
Points: 5975 Status: Moderator | Show recordbag



ENO mentions Conways Game of Life it that essay...

I wrote a Flash version a while back if you wanna give it a
try...check out http://www.g3rm.org ...it's the first green
square on the left (and yeah, I like minimal
interfaces...;)...


 

offline Archrival on 2002-05-11 11:49 [#00214969]
Points: 4265 Status: Lurker



Oooh oh oh.

I LOVE these kind of topics!!!!!!!

Jand always got the top notch info for us (cant forget the
videos too),

Thanx for the info, every link u posted was very nice
reading.

I really liked Enos speak.

The most intresting post in ages.

Music N Math.


 

offline nanotech from Sukavasti Amitaba Pureland (United States) on 2002-05-11 12:22 [#00214982]
Points: 3727 Status: Regular | Followup to jand: #00214956



g3rm.org is great!

i love langston's ant...i wish it would move at a slower
pace so that i could look deeper into which way the ants
turn...


 

offline jand from Braintree (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-11 12:45 [#00214995]
Points: 5975 Status: Moderator | Followup to nanotech: #00214982 | Show recordbag



Thanks, mate...I really need to add some more stuff to it;
got as load of pieces but they all need finishing off & I'm
always too lazy to do that...it's been almost a year since I
last updated it...

but things are brewing so stay tuned...;)..

I'll see if I can dig out a remixed ver of Langtons Ant for
ya...

Arch: Did you read ENO's mention of Kevin Kellys book OUT of
CONTROL?...you'd fucking love that book, I know....see if
you can get your hands on a copy...

I think there's a "liberated" version over at http://www.textz.org
....



 

offline death-pengwin from Medicine Hat (Canada) on 2002-05-11 21:15 [#00215370]
Points: 601 Status: Lurker



i think the answer is 24.


 

offline john is fast from sacramento (United States) on 2002-05-12 00:10 [#00215495]
Points: 638 Status: Regular



so far no luck with those programs i downloaded, one seems
to crash my computer everytime i install it and the other
just didnt do anything. but ill keep trying.

but this was a great topic.


 

offline john is fast from sacramento (United States) on 2002-05-12 00:12 [#00215500]
Points: 638 Status: Regular



as far as the original post of this topic. i took
programming classes for a short while when i got inspired
about doing the same thing youre talking about but then i
slept through my midterms and quit :)
so then i just started downloading anything and everything
off the web to make music and i can now do anything i would
want to do. so i gave up on programming cause i dont feel
restrained by what i have.


 

offline mylittlesister from ...wherever (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-12 00:19 [#00215510]
Points: 8472 Status: Regular



i've just skim-read this thread, and it sounds a bit
formulaic to get the codes to do it for u.... i supose it
depends how much u let the codes do for u.

I use randomize on FL sometimes, but that's just to try and
get some bizarre sounds by using LOTS of octaves!

you need to make sure ur using the codes to make music,
rather than the codes using u to make music... if u see wot
i mean


 

offline korben dallas from nz on 2002-05-12 02:07 [#00215774]
Points: 4605 Status: Regular



isn't pop formulaic?


 

offline korben dallas from nz on 2002-05-12 02:08 [#00215775]
Points: 4605 Status: Regular



I mean .. what music isn't formulaic .. ?


 

offline wayout from the street of crocodiles on 2002-05-12 03:38 [#00215893]
Points: 2849 Status: Lurker



yeah that speach by eno was quite good...
i wonder if thats where squarepusher got the title for his
'bubble and squeak' ep?


 

offline w M w from London (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-14 08:50 [#00218827]
Points: 21423 Status: Regular



oh yeah, i went to that musinum page b4 by lars. Some of the
sample tracks are better than the released albums by various
people that used that software like forrest fang and some
guy that made this crappy album "organized chaos" who were
featured together at www.discover.com in an article although
autechre deserve much much much more credit for making
groundbreaking music than they do. They use a symmetrical
structure but don't use symmetrical sounds often, well
robert rich does, some of his stuff is pretty good, the best
of the 5 or so albums I shouldn't have bought with
fractalish compositionish ishish. I believe he's on mp3.com.


 

offline w M w from London (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-14 09:10 [#00218833]
Points: 21423 Status: Regular



Cool eno thing so far (still reading) It's cool that I've
found out about moire patterns and out of phase cycles
independently already. I feels smarted n stuff, snarkle. I'd
like to hear crunch or autechre or aphex just recite random
ideas of theirs. There's a cool link at www.mp3.com/jbohn
called "huh?" It's pretty interesting I printed it out. I
like his song "walking on eggshells" but not a lot of
others.


 

offline w M w from London (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-14 09:22 [#00218841]
Points: 21423 Status: Regular



great read. I've never even heard eno's music.


 

offline colonymike from london (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-16 02:02 [#00221683]
Points: 396 Status: Regular



it's all about just being imaginative, what difference does
it make how the record was made as long as it's fucking
tough or whatever you are going for ... end result without a
doubt

: )

computers can't hear ! even if it does it all for you only
you can choose the bits you like ...

end result ...

definately all about taste really i guess

ps. droolstring !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

drool_string_ukelele_v1.5

perfect example of random bliss


 

offline wayout from the street of crocodiles on 2002-05-16 02:10 [#00221687]
Points: 2849 Status: Lurker | Followup to w M w: #00218841



yeah, that speach is a reminder of how people like eno
really are on a different level than most musicians...
i wonder what his new stuff sounds like...
what was his last release anyways?
he pretty much defined the genre of ambient like 25 years
ago...


 

offline korben dallas from nz on 2002-05-16 02:15 [#00221691]
Points: 4605 Status: Regular



def'nitely

end product!


 

offline colonymike from london (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-16 02:27 [#00221698]
Points: 396 Status: Regular



man i just typed in a load of rubbish read it back and
deleted it . . . something about randomness not really being
provable cos nobodys listend out for an eternity to see if
it's really just a BIG loop, he he.

plug ins on mass can come up with some pretty mad shit i
tell you sometimes my computer does all the hardwork and i
just sit back an smile making sure the levels okay on the
bounce and keeping a note of the good bits.

at the end of the day the virus is what it's really all
about


 

offline w M w from London (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-16 02:41 [#00221705]
Points: 21423 Status: Regular



That's a mad theory, hehheh. I'd have enjoyed you make a
fool ...or, er, genius of yourself.

It'll get really weird when we program computers TO hear and
interpret sounds in an aesthetic manner, I think otto von
schirach built this machine actually, he included a picture
of his organicmechapet in 8000 bc in fact.


 

offline jand from Braintree (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-16 02:43 [#00221706]
Points: 5975 Status: Moderator | Show recordbag



I'm well into the idea of Genetic Algothytms....basically
things that grow & evolve...is is like cutting edge Computer
science but it looks like breeding code & let's it go thru
the same evoltuionaly system biological lifeforms from,
produces some very interesting results....they trick of it
is to us aethetic jundgement to act in place of natural
selection...

I'll see what links I can dig up...


 

offline colonymike from london (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-16 02:45 [#00221707]
Points: 396 Status: Regular



otto is fucking cool man i love his stuff !!! dave has just
been in the US representing and has done some gigs with him
recently for schematic. sounds like a funny guy dresses up
as a clown and stuff for jokes : ) really suits his music
good sense of humour !


 

offline w M w from London (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-16 02:47 [#00221711]
Points: 21423 Status: Regular



this is getting wicked. I've thought alot about using
evolution in "art". Evolution played a part in creating just
about everything that is interesting.... you just need a
large group that mutates, some mutations will happen to be
aesthetically pleasing, only select these, re-mutate,
re-select X 1,243,764


 

offline w M w from London (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-16 02:50 [#00221720]
Points: 21423 Status: Regular



If you love otto, check out www.mp3.com/dannn
(forget if there's 2 or 3 n's there)

according to phluidbox, another great underground musician
(check out the "even cube" tracks on soulseek maybe by him)
this guy is gonna be on schematic fairly soon (otto's buddy
or something). Some of the tracks on dannn are better than
others.

THe review and description of otto's life/etc at
www.forcedexposure.com is quite funny, he apparently sells
magic beans for a living with the hell raiser pinhead and
some smurfs.


 

offline colonymike from london (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-16 02:55 [#00221722]
Points: 396 Status: Regular



i'll have a look . . .

i left a message for you before about sending a cd in that
other topic, anytime : )

thanks


 

offline Zombiekev from Ardmore (United States) on 2002-05-16 02:55 [#00221724]
Points: 2857 Status: Lurker



i could see using the programs on sounds you already
produced.

it'd be cool.

but so damn complex.


 

offline colonymike from london (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-16 03:09 [#00221737]
Points: 396 Status: Regular



i like just playing with my virus for hours not recording or
anything just listening to it and interacting it's better
than any record when youre buzzin . . .

music has it's place as does listening to anything else it's
all stimulating in some way even just the sound of typing
and the hum of my laptop and the wierd clicking that sounds
as though it's got the rythm of a dripping tap if you know
what i mean

i just love sound in all it's forms.

all music even electronic sound are art but at the same time
instinct i rekon, even when you walk it just starts in the
back of your head everything starting to become a part of it
and then something happens and your focus changes and you
don't even remember you were doing it, it's all subconcious.



 

offline colonymike from london (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-16 03:11 [#00221741]
Points: 396 Status: Regular



not that thats relevant or anything, he he.



 

offline w M w from London (United Kingdom) on 2002-05-17 09:26 [#00223137]
Points: 21423 Status: Regular



I don't have enough computer knowledge to create viruses!
That'd be a cool tool... I like normal sounds from reality
too since they're so detailed and intricate... I'd use these
types of sounds in musical creations if I had a microphone.
Like autechre's very excellent track 4 off chichlisuite
sounds like it used some weird gizmo they found in their
garage or something.


 


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