A friend of mine forwarded this to me from netnews. I haven't tried
it yet, but I thought y'all might be interested.
The automation of techno. Is it the beginning of the end? [play appropriate
dramatic music here]
[fletcher]
------- Forwarded Message
Article: 71 of alt.mud.moo
From: canton@nwu.edu (Canton Becker)
Newsgroups: alt.rave,alt.music.techno,alt.mud.moo,rec.music.makers
Subject: Auto-techno composing algorithm
Date: Sun, 01 May 1994 15:43:06 -0600
Organization: Northwestern University
Lines: 197
Distribution: world
Message-ID: <canton-010594154306@aragorn18.acns.nwu.edu>
NNTP-Posting-Host: aragorn18.acns.nwu.edu
Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu alt.rave:24810 alt.music.techno:2527 alt.mud.moo:71 rec.music.makers:41035
******************
*GREETINGS, FRIENDS!* May 1, 1994
******************
This message is to announce the completion of the Communal Groove Machine
(CGM), a program six months in the making that runs in "moocode" on CTDMOO,
reched via telnet to ctdnet.acns.nwu.edu 8888. (Further instructions on
how to get there later in this posting.)
The CGM is an algorithmic composing agent that maintains a vast database of
rhythm elements, music structures, and bass & chord patterns that it uses
to compose techno songs whose essential qualities are determined by
participants who interact with the machine in a text-based virtual reality.
The songs generated by participants using the CGM will be engineered and
recorded for use in a ten-hour long production taking place in a popular
nightclub in downtown Chicago in late June. (The production is the
creation of Northwestern University composer Amnon Wolman, who based the
idea around the diaries of Andy Warhol; hence the overdone 10-hour length.)
Musicians, ravers, techno aficionados, composers, and anyone else
interested are invited to explore the Communal Groove Machine, generate
grooves, and contribute to the ever-growing groove elements library. The
compositional paradigm that forms the foundation of the CGM is that of the
future; where the listener, the audience, the *subject* will orchestrate
what she experiences.
TO PARTICIPATE:
- ----------------
Beginning noon, May 2nd, anyone with telnet access may telnet to
ctdnet.acns.nwu.edu 8888 and connect as a guest. (Email canton@nwu.edu for
information about dial-up access for those who have modems but no internet
access.)
When you connect as a guest, you will appear in the basement of CTDMOO, the
Center for Talent Development MOO. (Please be kind to any residents you
bump into on CTDMOO; most are thirteen years old and are quite sensitive.)
Type 's' and hit return to go south. Then type 'press silver button' to be
transported to the Communal Groove Machine. From there, things are pretty
self explanatory. However, if you are totally unfamiliar with MOO
commands, you may want to read a few help pages, such as 'help basics'.
(especially 'help basics'.) Enjoy the groove.
TO CONTRIBUTE DATABASE ELEMENTS:
- ----------------------------------
Email stuff to canton@nwu.edu.
Perhaps you ask, "What sort of stuff"? Keep reading.
If you are not interested in contributing to the database itself, but would
rather just fiddle with the CGM and design yourself some techno, then you
probably don't have to read the rest of this article.
THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
If you have any questions,
I am yours,
Canton Becker
canton@nwu.edu
Artificial Intelligence & Music Technology Programs, Northwestern
University
MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION:
- --------------------------
- ------------------------------------------------
The Communal Groove Machine:
Solicitation for chord and bass sequences.
- ------------------------------------------------
The Communal Groove Machine (CGM) algorithmically generates techno music
based
upon an immense library of drum patterns, chord progressions, dance
cliches,
etc. Well, an *almost* immense library. We need some help from you.
If you feel inspired, creative, bored, or as if you need some groove in
your
karma, please email a chord progression or bass progression to
canton@nwu.edu
or Canton (#230) here, on CTDMOO.
Be sure to include a little note that mentions how you feel the progression
sounds...
A weird notation system MUST be followed, which is described below. Please
email only progressions in this syntax:
*NOTE*
Both bass and chord progressions must be "16 beats long", that is, about
two
measures long in 4/4 time (a "beat" here is an eigth note) and in the key
of C.
Yoj MUST specify at the top of your suggesion what tonality your
submission
fits under. Options are: C major, C minor, or C ambiguous. (Something
that
was only centered around the 1st and the 5th would be ambiguous, for
example.)
FORMAT FOR BASS LINE SUBMISSIONS:
submit tonality, plus 1-16 lines whose total beat lengths are EQUAL to 16,
and
look like this:
<note><n,f,s> <#beats>
where <note> is any of C D E F G A B, <n,f,s> stands for natural, flat, or
sharp, and <#beats> indicates how long the bass should hold this note.
PLEASE
NOTE that the techno machine will not boringly play the notes you select
and
hold them for 8 counts, etcetera... If you specify #beats as 4, the Techno
Machine will *apply a rhythm* to the bass instrument over those four beats.
EXAMPLE:
Tonality: C minor
Cn 4
Bf 4
Ef 4
Cn 4
FORMAT FOR CHORD PROGRESSION SUBMISSIONS:
submit tonality (as in bassline submissions), plus 1-16 lines whose total
beat
lengths are EQUAL to 16, and look like this:
<note><n,s,f><m,M,A,d><0,7,9><0,M,m,d><0,M,m,d> <#beats>
where <note> is any of C D E F G A B, <n,s,f> stands for natural, sharp, or
flah, <m,M,A,d> determines whether the chord should be minor, Major,
Augmented,
or diminshed, <0,7,9> shows whether the chord should be a simple triad (0),
7th
chord, or 7th+9th chord. The first <0,M,m,d> is used to indicate the type
of
7th, if any (0=no seventh, M=major 7th, m=minor 7th, d=diminished 7th) and
the
second <0,M,m,d> is used in the same way to describe the 9th.
EXAMPLE TRANSLATIONS:
'C minor chord' => 'Cnm000'
'E flat diminshed chord' => 'Efd000'
'F sharp major 7th diminished 9th' => 'FsM9Md'
EXAMPLE:
Tonality: C minor
Cnm000 4
Efm000 4
BfM000 4
Cnm000 4
THANKS FOR ANY HELP! Please realize that by emailing me any chord
progressions
or base lines, you are giving up all rights to your creation- the techno
machine may use your creations in part or in whole without acknowledging
you.
HOWEVER, WE WOULD LIKE IT IF:
You could ALSO provide with any material you send in:
Your name, email address, phone number, ANYTHING: Quotes, .gifs, .au sound
files, anything. The production in which the music generated by the techno
machine will be used is a multi-media sensory conglomerate... Your
creations,
your ideas, your everything may be incorperated into music, video, lyrics,
or
anything else.
If you leave your email address, you will be added to a list which will
keep
you informed of dates for the production itself, any pending CD release of
techno machine music, etc.
THANKS!
- -Canton Becker and Amnon Wolman, Northwestern University Music Technology
Program.
- --------------------------------- page 4
- -----------------------------------
******************************************************************
*** HOW DO I GET TO HEAR WHAT I'VE MADE? ***
******************************************************************
After pressing the DOIT button, you'll have thousands of lines of MIDI junk
spewed to your screen. Unless you can sightread MIDI code, you'll probably
want to hear what you've made...
Here are some options:
#1: Stay tuned for information regarding the actual June/July production
to take place in Chicago. You could show up and scream "HEY, THAT'S
MY SONG" and see if anyone belives you.
#2: Stay tuned for information regarding a WWW server I'll be setting up
that
will serve audio files of songs resulting from your MIDI code.
#3: Some of these songs will probably be pressed onto a CD for release
after
July.
BE SURE TO LEAVE YOUR EMAIL OR SNAIL MAIL ADDRESS IN THE AUTHOR NOTE
PAD!
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(That's it!)
------- End of Forwarded Message