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Ok, this may seem really far out... but do any of you imagine colours when you listen to music? I am a very visual person, and sometimes when I listen to music I arrange the sounds and melodies in my mind so I can remember them or listen to the different things going on. For example, layers of sound with the beat on the bottom and melodies on top, or if the bass is prominent it is bigger in my mind. (Compare to the layout of a sequencing program). Then of course I think in color, not in black and white, so to me certain songs have different colors. Here is a list of selected electronic artists and the color that comes immediately to my mind when I think of the music they create (that I've heard): Funckarma - brown Autechre - maroon Squarepusher - red L'usine - light brown with shades of yellow Mouse on Mars - purple, yellow, orange Gimmik - soft purple Download - orangey brown with shades of purple & pink Boards of Canada - baby blue Sun Electric - light pink and purple Stars of the Lid - sweet pastels Aphex Twin - umm.........every color of the rainbow I guess -- no single color comes to mind! Notice the progression of colors from dark to light. Can you see how the colors relate to the music.....? Some of the colors probably are influenced by a particular album cover (e.g. BOC Music Has the Right to Children, or Download III), but HOW FITTING those colors are! I know, call me weird. Hey, I'm bored. (I'm supposed to be working.) -Sharon np: Yunx - Tenson cute & happy with little whistle pips --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

I completely agree, and I know a bunch of other people that would agree too. The effect you're referring to is better known as "synesthesia" (also a FLA side project, but that's a different story). In my experiences, it usually seems that more visual artists than anyone else pick up on the "color" thing, but I completely see where you're coming from. So no, you're not smoking crack. :) I should be working too. :) Kyle

quoted 8 lines -----Original Message-----

> > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Sharon Clarke [mailto:sharon@infotechcanada.com] > > Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2001 10:25 AM > > To: idm@hyperreal.org > > Subject: [idm] The Colour of Music > > > > Ok, this may seem really far out... but do any of you imagine

colours

quoted 1 line when you listen to music? I am a very visual person, and sometimes

> > when you listen to music? I am a very visual person, and sometimes

when

quoted 1 line I listen to music I arrange the sounds and melodies in my mind so I

> > I listen to music I arrange the sounds and melodies in my mind so I

can

quoted 1 line remember them or listen to the different things going on. For

> > remember them or listen to the different things going on. For

example,

quoted 1 line layers of sound with the beat on the bottom and melodies on top, or

> > layers of sound with the beat on the bottom and melodies on top, or

if

quoted 1 line the bass is prominent it is bigger in my mind. (Compare to the

> > the bass is prominent it is bigger in my mind. (Compare to the

layout of

quoted 1 line a sequencing program). Then of course I think in color, not in black

> > a sequencing program). Then of course I think in color, not in black

and

quoted 3 lines white, so to me certain songs have different colors.

> > white, so to me certain songs have different colors. > > > > Here is a list of selected electronic artists and the color that

comes

quoted 1 line immediately to my mind when I think of the music they create (that

> > immediately to my mind when I think of the music they create (that

I've

quoted 13 lines heard):

> > heard): > > > > Funckarma - brown > > Autechre - maroon > > Squarepusher - red > > L'usine - light brown with shades of yellow > > Mouse on Mars - purple, yellow, orange > > Gimmik - soft purple > > Download - orangey brown with shades of purple & pink > > Boards of Canada - baby blue > > Sun Electric - light pink and purple > > Stars of the Lid - sweet pastels > > Aphex Twin - umm.........every color of the rainbow I guess -- no

single

quoted 4 lines color comes to mind!

> > color comes to mind! > > > > > > Notice the progression of colors from dark to light. Can you see how

the

quoted 3 lines colors relate to the music.....?

> > colors relate to the music.....? > > > > Some of the colors probably are influenced by a particular album

cover

quoted 14 lines (e.g. BOC Music Has the Right to Children, or Download III), but HOW

> > (e.g. BOC Music Has the Right to Children, or Download III), but HOW > > FITTING those colors are! > > > > I know, call me weird. > > > > Hey, I'm bored. (I'm supposed to be working.) > > > > -Sharon > > > > > > np: Yunx - Tenson > > cute & happy with little whistle pips > > > >

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quoted 2 lines To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org

> > To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org > > For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

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quoted 8 lines Ok, this may seem really far out... but do any of you imagine >colours when

>Ok, this may seem really far out... but do any of you imagine >colours when >you listen to music? I am a very visual person, and >sometimes when I >listen to music I arrange the sounds and melodies in my mind so I can >remember them or listen to the different things going on. For example, >layers of sound with the beat on the bottom and melodies on top, or if the >bass is prominent it is bigger in my mind. (Compare to the layout of a >sequencing program). Then of course I think in color, not in black and >white, so to me certain songs have different colors.

Actually, even if you literally "see" the colors as you listen to the music, it's not all that unheard of, although I don't know if that's what you meant. The clinical term for it is synesthesia, not to say that it's really a disorder in any respect. Nabokov, for example, associated or saw colors for each letter of the alphabet, and was convinced that most people were born synesthetic but that they divested themselves of the natural associations due to societal/parental influence. I also have a friend who is able to paint what music very concretely "looks like" to her--the same way, presumably, that some current computer programs apply algorithms to sound frequencies in order generate images in time with music. But, as to your direct question, I personally don't associate colors to music very often other than in terms of very general mood, and even so am usually unduly influenced by the color of the album and whatever explicit social context the music seems to fit into. As in: most of BoC feels pale blue to me because that's what color their early sleeves were, and also because I associate them with faded colors due to the nostalgic haze they call up for me. Anyway, cheers, Matthew _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

At 12:29 PM 7/19/2001 -0700, Matthew Korfhage wrote:

quoted 27 lines Ok, this may seem really far out... but do any of you imagine >colours

>>Ok, this may seem really far out... but do any of you imagine >colours >>when you listen to music? I am a very visual person, and >sometimes when >>I listen to music I arrange the sounds and melodies in my mind so I can >>remember them or listen to the different things going on. For example, >>layers of sound with the beat on the bottom and melodies on top, or if >>the bass is prominent it is bigger in my mind. (Compare to the layout of >>a sequencing program). Then of course I think in color, not in black and >>white, so to me certain songs have different colors. > >Actually, even if you literally "see" the colors as you listen to the >music, it's not all that unheard of, although I don't know if that's what >you meant. The clinical term for it is synesthesia, not to say that it's >really a disorder in any respect. Nabokov, for example, associated or saw >colors for each letter of the alphabet, and was convinced that most people >were born synesthetic but that they divested themselves of the natural >associations due to societal/parental influence. I also have a friend who >is able to paint what music very concretely "looks like" to her--the same >way, presumably, that some current computer programs apply algorithms to >sound frequencies in order generate images in time with music. > >But, as to your direct question, I personally don't associate colors to >music very often other than in terms of very general mood, and even so am >usually unduly influenced by the color of the album and whatever explicit >social context the music seems to fit into. As in: most of BoC feels pale >blue to me because that's what color their early sleeves were, and also >because I associate them with faded colors due to the nostalgic haze they >call up for me.

A lot of the color association stems from the basis that most humans are very visual-oriented. Personally, there's enough interest in music alone that I don't need any senses but hearing to appreciate it. Your association with colors is just your human conditioning shining through. Congratulations! :D cheers, /derek ------- eggytoast.com ------- now on the interweb --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

-----Original Message----- From: Matthew Korfhage [mailto:pomomofo2000@hotmail.com] Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2001 5:00 PM To: idm@hyperreal.org Subject: [idm] Re: The Colour of Music

quoted 2 lines Nabokov, for example, associated or saw colors

> Nabokov, for example, associated or saw colors >for each letter of the alphabet,

hahahaha.... so do I! A = red B = blue C = yellow D = green E = blue F = brown G = black H = pink I = white J = light green K = yellow ehhh....whatever...I'm going home now. -Sharon --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

Arthur RImbaud, the young poet genius out of france, created a color for each vowel of the alphabet. its an interesting poem. luke On Thursday 19 July 2001 17:25, you wrote:

quoted 28 lines --- Sharon Clarke <sharon@infotechcanada.com> wrote:

> --- Sharon Clarke <sharon@infotechcanada.com> wrote: > > > Nabokov, for example, associated or saw colors > > >for each letter of the alphabet, > > > > hahahaha.... so do I! > > A = red > > B = blue > > C = yellow > > D = green > > E = blue > > F = brown > > G = black > > H = pink > > I = white > > J = light green > > K = yellow > > I've always done that, too, but mine are totally different. I always come > up with weird colors I don't know the names to, too. > > __________________________________________________ > Do You Yahoo!? > Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail > http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org > For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

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Oddly, when I was growing up, I associated colors with letters (not the whole alphabet, but some), numbers, and the days of the week. I've forgotten most of them now; I know Thursday was brown, and I think Wednesday was green. Tuesday might have been blue. The NY Times ran an interesting article a year or so ago about synaesthesia, and the scientific debate over whether it was a "real" (physical) condition or merely psychological. I tend to agree with the view that it may be something we're hard-wired for, but gradually lose the ability as we grow up, given that I have strong synaesthetic memories from childhood but very few such experiences now. -Philip

quoted 2 lines Nabokov, for example, associated or saw colors=20

>> Nabokov, for example, associated or saw colors=20 >>for each letter of the alphabet,=20

quoted 12 lines hahahaha.... so do I!

>hahahaha.... so do I! >A =3D red >B =3D blue >C =3D yellow >D =3D green >E =3D blue >F =3D brown >G =3D black >H =3D pink >I =3D white >J =3D light green >K =3D yellow

A great book on synaesthesia is "The Man Who Tasted Shapes" by Richard Cytowic. Review and info from spamazon.com follows. 3 (Use if you're redeeming a promotional certificate or coupon.) Returning customer? Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering. (We'll set one up for you) View my Wish List The Man Who Tasted Shapes by Richard E. Cytowic List Price: $21.95 Our Price: $15.36 You Save: $6.59 (30%) Used Price: $7.98 Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours. See larger photo 4 used from $7.98 I have one to sell! Paperback - 252 pages Reprint edition (May 1998) Bradford Books; ISBN: 0262531526 ; Dimensions (in inches): 0.57 x 9.00 x 6.01 Amazon.com Sales Rank: 70,976 Average Customer Rating: Based on 8 reviews. Write a review. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Customers who bought this book also bought: * Bright Colors Falsely Seen : Synaesthesia and the Search for Transcendental Knowledge by Kevin T. Dann * Synaesthesia : The Strangest Thing by John Harrison * The Mind of a Mnemonist : A Little Book About a Vast Memory by Aleksandr R. Luria, et al * Inner Vision : An Exploration of Art and the Brain by Semir Zeki Explore similar items ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Editorial Reviews Book Description "Space constraints prevent me from giving more than a mere flavour of the richness of Cytowic's thinking. With broad sweeps, he outlines a new landscape. . . . Read this book--and the more objective you think you are, the more open-minded you will need to be to appreciate it." -- The New Scientist In 1980, Richard Cytowic was having dinner at a friend's house, when his host exclaimed, "Oh, dear, there aren't enough points on the chicken." With that casual comment began Cytowic's journey into the condition known as synesthesia. The ten people in one million who are synesthetes are born into a world where one sensation (such as sound) conjures up one or more others (such as taste or color). Although scientists have known about synesthesia for two hundred years, until now the condition has remained a mystery. Extensive experiments with more than forty synesthetes led Richard Cytowic to an explanation of synesthesia--and to a new conception of the organization of the mind, one that emphasized the primacy of emotion over reason. Because there were not enough points on chicken served at a dinner almost two decades ago, Cytowic came to explore a deeper reality that he believes exists in all individuals, but usually below the surface of awareness. In this medical detective adventure, he reveals the brain to be an active explorer, not just a passive receiver, and offers a new view of what it means to be human--a view that turns upside down conventional ideas about reason, emotion, and who we are. * Not for sale in the United Kingdom and Eire Ingram The ten people in one million who are synesthetes are born into a world where one sensation (such as sound) conjures up one or more others (such as taste or color). Extensive experiments with more than 40 synesthetes led Richard Cytowic to an explanation of synesthesia and reveals the brain to be an active explorer, not just a passive receiver--a fascinating breakthrough in our understanding of what it means to be human. 15 illustrations. --

Sharon wrote:

quoted 8 lines Ok, this may seem really far out... but do any of you imagine colours

> Ok, this may seem really far out... but do any of you imagine colours > when you listen to music? I am a very visual person, and sometimes when > I listen to music I arrange the sounds and melodies in my mind so I can > remember them or listen to the different things going on. For example, > layers of sound with the beat on the bottom and melodies on top, or if > the bass is prominent it is bigger in my mind. (Compare to the layout of > a sequencing program). Then of course I think in color, not in black and > white, so to me certain songs have different colors.

Yeah, I've been thinking about that lately. However, I have great difficulty recalling colours. I think if my memory is at all photographic, it must be in black and white. But anyway, I've always seen moving shapes and textures when I'm listening to music, sometimes coloured, but very weakly. Even though I've always been good at representational drawing, I can't draw the things I see when I listen to music - it's as if they occupy my mind's eye rather than floating around in front of me. :) The shapes and textures tend to be pale on a dark background, so I've always enjoyed listening to music in the dark or with my eyes closed, as it helps me concentrate on the shapes and textures. I'm really intrigued by the artwork on Confield, because it kind-of looks like a simplified version of the stuff I see. I've always taken this for granted, and it only occurred to me quite recently that this mightn't be normal, so I started asking people about it, and when I told them what I see I got a lot of "Wow! That's cool!" reactions. Which is nice. I wonder of Richie Hawtin gets it too, because that "Concepts" album very strongly suggests very clearly defined shapes moving in very clearly defined paths. Especially (I think) "Concept 7" (I don't actually own the album, so forgive me for any trainspotter faux pas :)). Anyway, you're not alone. :) -nj --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

From: Sharon Clarke <sharon@infotechcanada.com>

quoted 2 lines Ok, this may seem really far out... but do any of you imagine colours

> Ok, this may seem really far out... but do any of you imagine colours > when you listen to music?

Only when I take drugs. I wouldn't say I'm a visual person, but whenever I try to think about what that means I wind up confusing myself. What I do notice when I listen to a song is my spatial imagination - basses have one shape and position, different percussion sounds have different shapes, and so on. So what I'm imagining with music is more like a sculpture than a painting. With electronic music it's like one of those kinetic sculptures, which is half machine and half pure shape. A lot of music which I like has 'dependencies' - one sound is balancing another or reacting to movement of the first and so on. It's probably why I like generative, algorithmic sounding stuff, I feel there are a few basic rules or principles interacting with each other and making something musical. This is basically the same thing I liked when I used to play with Lego. That's fun on drugs too of course...occasionally when I've taken mushrooms or something at home on my own and I'm listening to music I can imagine it sufficiently well to be able to 'see' a track grow as a structure in the middle of the room, oscillating away to itself. Lovely. It's a pity there isn't more video stuff like this, I've only seen this sort of idea captured (to my satisfaction) on the FSOL 'Lifeforms' video. With the falling cost of technology and increasing integration between differnt types of media tools, I hope there'll be more of this stuff in the future. Anig Browl _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

From: Philip Sherburne <psherburne@jeevessolutions.com>

quoted 1 line The NY Times ran an interesting article a year or so ago about

> The NY Times ran an interesting article a year or so ago about

synaesthesia,

quoted 1 line and the scientific debate over whether it was a "real" (physical)

> and the scientific debate over whether it was a "real" (physical)

condition

quoted 1 line or merely psychological.

> or merely psychological.

aka 'something we can't come up with a theory for yet' :-)

quoted 4 lines I tend to agree with the view that it may be

> I tend to agree with the view that it may be > something we're hard-wired for, but gradually lose the ability as we grow > up, given that I have strong synaesthetic memories from childhood but very > few such experiences now.

This makes lots of sense; loading up on some psychedelics will leave few people in doubt of the brain's tendency to make images from music given the opportunity. Of course the drugs themselves impart different flavours; I find mushrooms more colourful and reactive to aural textures while LSD tends to emphasise structural and rhythmical elements. I keep wondering what would happen if I combined small doses of both at once. Anig Browl _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org

quoted 7 lines This makes lots of sense; loading up on some psychedelics will leave few

> >This makes lots of sense; loading up on some psychedelics will leave few >people in doubt of the brain's tendency to make images from music given the >opportunity. Of course the drugs themselves impart different flavours; I >find mushrooms more colourful and reactive to aural textures while LSD tends >to emphasise structural and rhythmical elements. I keep wondering what would >happen if I combined small doses of both at once.

your eyeballs would implode cheers, /derek ------- eggytoast.com ------- now on the interweb --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: idm-unsubscribe@hyperreal.org For additional commands, e-mail: idm-help@hyperreal.org