Exactly what IS algorithmic composition? Aside from having read up on Xenakis and having performed "Charisma," I know very little about algorithmic music.
I just finished an electronic piece that uses the overtone series to approximate the pitch classes of a tone row and its inversion. Since the Synclavier (8-bit additive/FM synth) is strictly limited to 24 harmonic coefficients, the only way to generate a complete tone row is by using harmonics from adjacent fundamental PCs. What is also cool about that is how fundamentals share common tones in the harmonic spectrum, which allows for some interesting "detuning" effects. You can use pitch envelopes to slide from one fundamental to another. And because all you're using are sinusoids the combinations you get result in completely new timbres, not necessarily individually recognizable notes. And, of course you can add FM effects, too. To transpose the various row forms, all you have to do is press the key that corresponds to the first note of that row form and hold it until it stops. So it's kinda quasi algorithmic.
What I'm not into, though, is interactive performance. I can't afford Max/MSP right now. And it would probably be a waste of my time if I did have it, especially since I can't even get a sine wave out of PD. Maybe if I actually understood it all, it would be a lot of fun.
But DEFINITELY computer-assisted. The Synclavier is one of the easiest synths to program, and for all its limits it more than makes up for them in its little quirks. I also use Absynth, and I've had a lot of fun programming Reason's Thor softsynth.
But that's about as deep as I go into electronic music. Electro-acoustic composition was the bulk of my studies in grad school. Currently I've been making space music and using Hubble images to accompany my musical ideas. I'm currently working on electro-mechanical ways to make light art to accompany my music (inspired by Thomas Wilfred). I'm intrigued by the notion of "light music," but I'm not quite sold on the idea of separating visual and aural elements of musical art.
12 Nov 2011, 7:49 pm
