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Generative music
 

offline Amonbrune from Vancouver (Canada) on 2002-06-24 10:34 [#00282740]
Points: 7327 Status: Addict



I read in a post (and read in interviews although i still
didnt understand it) that Ae do generative music and put
algorythms in the computer and then the computer makes
whatever right? like how does that work then? how does an
algorythm become music?


 

offline babajela from London (United Kingdom) on 2002-06-24 10:38 [#00282745]
Points: 74 Status: Lurker



Well, the simple example is the bouncing ball effect, used
by RDJ on Bucephallus Bouncing Ball and by AE on, i think
Drane 2. You take an algorythm that mathematically describes
the behaviour of an object hitting the surface under the
law of gravity. You can change parameters: the density of
the object/ surface, the height from which it is dropped,
the strength of the gravitational field etc. Of course,
there are a lot more complicated formulas: fractal stuff
etc., where you are not really able to predict the results.
But there are some other, really simple ways of creating
generative music, but I'm sure Meho will tell you more about
it.


 

offline Amonbrune from Vancouver (Canada) on 2002-06-24 10:43 [#00282747]
Points: 7327 Status: Addict



Thanks...i see what you mean, kinda hehe

Meho, where are you?


 

offline Amonbrune from Vancouver (Canada) on 2002-06-24 10:43 [#00282748]
Points: 7327 Status: Addict



So what about a track like VI Scose Poise? was that all
done with fractals or algorhythms? there's so much going
on..


 

offline Meho Krljic from Beograd (Yugoslavia) on 2002-06-24 10:46 [#00282751]
Points: 6617 Status: Addict



Indeed I will. For instance: Christian Marclay released a
"Record without a cover": a piece of 12 inch vinyl that is
supposed to lay unprotected and therefore generate new
sounds on the surface to add to the noise already existing
on the record. Each copy becomes different with time. I read
a great article by David Toop in THE WIRE about 15-16
months ago, and most of my examples are from that article.
(Including AE): One good and simple example is a Cornelius
Cardew composition of a name I can not remember: He just
took a number of people with untrained voices and gave some
of them to sing a single note with furhter instruction to
others to try and sing the note they hear from the person
closest to them. As these people were untrained, many of
them could nott sustain a single note for a longer time and
changed it unconsciously and others could not repeat it
perfectly or did not hear properly, so a lot of completely
unexpected harmonies and events surfaced. Or so they say...
In principle, you can take a lot of numerical analysis
formulas, hook your synth to the computer doing the
calculation and get a complex set of sounds out of it,
depending on parameters you punch in.


 

offline Meho Krljic from Beograd (Yugoslavia) on 2002-06-24 10:48 [#00282752]
Points: 6617 Status: Addict | Followup to Amonbrune: #00282748



Beats me. Some things you think are aleatory and it turns
out they have been carefully composed. Some things you think
they really put an effort to make and it turns out that it
was just created by an algorythm...


 

offline Amonbrune from Vancouver (Canada) on 2002-06-24 10:48 [#00282753]
Points: 7327 Status: Addict



wow that is so interesting. thats almost as insane as john
cage! can you still buy this stuff? like that record that
changes and those people singing?


 

offline Taxidermist from Black Grass on 2002-06-24 10:51 [#00282755]
Points: 9958 Status: Lurker | Followup to babajela: #00282745



You are talking about parabolic beats. That kind of sound
can be captured through generative composition or manual
composition.

Amonbrune, this is kind of an oversimplification of it all,
but generative musicians tend to have programs that can take
mathematical equations, images, letters & numbers,
algorhythms, etc and process them into audable signals. Then
the composer arranges the parts that they like.

Most generative composers will also process their sounds
again and again untill the songs have baisically been set
down in the middle of a highway of generative software
(during rush hour).

Usually the music ends up sounding like Autechre's
'Confield', Richard Devine's 'Lipswitch', or Leafcutter
John's 'Microcontact'.


 

offline Meho Krljic from Beograd (Yugoslavia) on 2002-06-24 10:52 [#00282758]
Points: 6617 Status: Addict | Followup to Amonbrune: #00282753



well, in essence, John Cage is a father of all this. He used
I-Ching to compose, really relied a lot on aleatory
techniques. His aim was to "liberate sounds and music from
the composer's tyranny"...


 

offline Amonbrune from Vancouver (Canada) on 2002-06-24 10:54 [#00282759]
Points: 7327 Status: Addict



lol i got so many questions all of a sudden! i know what a
polyrhythm is...what's a parabolic?


 

offline Taxidermist from Black Grass on 2002-06-24 11:05 [#00282775]
Points: 9958 Status: Lurker



A barabolic beat is baisically a rhythm structure that
opperates on a curve. For example, where normal rythms might
have a 0.5 second gap inbetween beats, in a parabolic beat,
the first gap between beats might be 0.6 seconds, then the
next would be 0.55, then 0.51, then 0.48, then 0.46 and so
on, untill it hits a middle point, say 0.42 seconds and then
works its way back to 0.6, like in an algebraic curve.

Thats the best way I could describe it right now. Listen to
Krib on Cichle Suite and you will see what I mean.


 

offline Taxidermist from Black Grass on 2002-06-24 11:07 [#00282777]
Points: 9958 Status: Lurker



I am just going to add that parabolic beats are a bitch to
work with unless you have something to make proper
generative music with. Doing painstaking work with the shift
function in fruityloops is a lot more work than it is
worth.

Believe.


 

offline Amonbrune from Vancouver (Canada) on 2002-06-24 11:08 [#00282780]
Points: 7327 Status: Addict



I have that cd...i'll give it a listen. thanks kindly!
this is all super facinating stuff.


 

offline Cheffe1979 from fuck (Austria) on 2002-06-24 11:10 [#00282782]
Points: 4630 Status: Lurker



i once was into producing sounds on my pc, using pascal and
c. mixing too many things up (i.e. a complex arrangement of
loops and goto's) makes it all sound like merzbow. doing
listenable stuff that way is almost impossible. at least it
was for me


 

offline Amonbrune from Vancouver (Canada) on 2002-06-24 11:10 [#00282783]
Points: 7327 Status: Addict



so could you in essence keep that in mind and like develop a
different time signature every min or so...a beat that keeps
on going but mutates.


 

offline Amonbrune from Vancouver (Canada) on 2002-06-24 11:11 [#00282786]
Points: 7327 Status: Addict



Then if it's so hard how some Autechre can do it!!!!!!!!!
ARGG!! Ooops... i forgot they're super human.


 

offline Amonbrune from Vancouver (Canada) on 2002-06-24 11:12 [#00282787]
Points: 7327 Status: Addict



some = come*


 

offline babajela from London (United Kingdom) on 2002-06-24 11:12 [#00282788]
Points: 74 Status: Lurker | Followup to Cheffe1979: #00282782



depends on what you deem listenable. I listen to a lot of
merzbow.


 

offline Amonbrune from Vancouver (Canada) on 2002-06-24 11:13 [#00282790]
Points: 7327 Status: Addict



like what i mean is go from 4/4 into like 6/8 then like 5/7
then 14/12. thats far fetched but could you?


 

offline Meho Krljic from Beograd (Yugoslavia) on 2002-06-24 11:13 [#00282793]
Points: 6617 Status: Addict



amonbrune: remember that track on ANTI that uses
"non-repetitive" beats? It has been done before, naturally.


 

offline Cheffe1979 from fuck (Austria) on 2002-06-24 11:14 [#00282794]
Points: 4630 Status: Lurker | Followup to Amonbrune: #00282786



well, you did.

i only produced super gay crap similar to alarm signals or
complete noise


 

offline Cheffe1979 from fuck (Austria) on 2002-06-24 11:16 [#00282801]
Points: 4630 Status: Lurker | Followup to babajela: #00282788



i also listen to merzbow, i like woodpecker 2 a lot. live
he's fantastic.


 

offline Amonbrune from Vancouver (Canada) on 2002-06-24 11:16 [#00282803]
Points: 7327 Status: Addict



Meho: I see. Ive heard Flutter...it was very interesting


 

offline Meho Krljic from Beograd (Yugoslavia) on 2002-06-24 11:17 [#00282806]
Points: 6617 Status: Addict | Followup to Cheffe1979: #00282794



cheffe: you just have to try harder. People do it all the
time.


 

offline Meho Krljic from Beograd (Yugoslavia) on 2002-06-24 11:19 [#00282813]
Points: 6617 Status: Addict | Followup to Amonbrune: #00282803



There. But there are also many other way of doing generative
music. Some of them are pure artistic dead ends: aside from
being some kinds of statement they sound like shit
altogether. Others are great. It just breaks down to do you
value experiment more than the outcome.


 

offline Amonbrune from Vancouver (Canada) on 2002-06-24 11:21 [#00282818]
Points: 7327 Status: Addict



very interesting


 

offline Cheffe1979 from fuck (Austria) on 2002-06-24 11:21 [#00282822]
Points: 4630 Status: Lurker | Followup to Meho Krljic: #00282806



maybe you are right, meho, but i'm into so many things, i
won't have the time that this subject needs. btw 'people'
mostly are better musicians than i am ;)


 

offline Amonbrune from Vancouver (Canada) on 2002-06-24 11:22 [#00282825]
Points: 7327 Status: Addict



Autechre....ARE AMAZINE! ING.....

CHECK DAT OUT BRUTHA


 

offline jand from Braintree (United Kingdom) on 2002-06-24 11:25 [#00282832]
Points: 5975 Status: Moderator | Show recordbag



AE talk a bit about Generative music in the recent interview
in Grooves...it's on the autechre.nu site...in the
interviews section...

might fill you in a bit...


 

offline Meho Krljic from Beograd (Yugoslavia) on 2002-06-24 11:26 [#00282833]
Points: 6617 Status: Addict | Followup to Cheffe1979: #00282822



cheffe: I hear that. Yeah. It needs a lot of fucking effort
invested. But anyway, you don't have to make complicated
music to make good music. SAW is as simple as taking crap
but is still excellent...


 

offline Meho Krljic from Beograd (Yugoslavia) on 2002-06-24 11:26 [#00282834]
Points: 6617 Status: Addict | Followup to jand: #00282832



cheers, jand!!


 

offline Taxidermist from Black Grass on 2002-06-24 11:42 [#00282875]
Points: 9958 Status: Lurker | Followup to Amonbrune: #00282825



If you are talking about a constantly changing time
sygnature (different from parabolic beats altho many artists
have been known to use both in a track), check out Venetian
Snares. Aaron funk is known for his schitzophrenic time
structures.


 

offline E-man from Rixensart (Belgium) on 2002-06-24 11:57 [#00282917]
Points: 3000 Status: Regular



i don't think the bouncing effect in bucephalus is an
algorythm, i understand but i think it simply made with an
echo/delay effect on the sample.


 

offline babajela from London (United Kingdom) on 2002-06-24 12:03 [#00282928]
Points: 74 Status: Lurker | Followup to E-man: #00282917



well, think again: the "equation" track name on windowlicker
is the bouncing ball algorythm. I can't say 100% sure he'd
used it in "BBB" but I'm pretty sure.


 


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