Experimental music from very short C programs

Be sure to check out the 2nd and 3rd iterations as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlrs2Vorw2Y http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCRPUv8V22o

More info: http://countercomplex.blogspot.com/2011/10/algorithmic-symphonies-from-one-li...

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• experimental
• generative
• hacking
• programming
• demoscene
• minimal
• fractal
• music

[swmicro1]

main(t)

Where is a type of argument?

I think it's suppose to be like that:

int main( int t )

[viznut]

@swmicro1 It's called source code length optimization, so it definitely is intentional. Every C compiler that cares about backward compatibility allows omitting the type in these cases, despite what today's standards require.

[irrlichtproject]

awesome awesomeness is awesome. btw what platform is this, vic-20?

[viznut]

@irrlichtproject Plain platform-neutral C code with >=32-bit integers. Most of them simple enough for 8-bit platforms to synthesize, however. If you want something similar for the VIC-20, google "Soundflower VIC-20".

[TomiTapio]

Good stuff. Blang-blang-blang-blang-blipi-­didi...

[ericfontainejazz]

These are really intersting experiments... Just a little bit of mathematical chaos leads to nice variety while still keeping musical patterns that a human brain can identify and appreciate.

[viznut]

@reconstructiv Some of the formulas in these videos have been succesfully implemented on Atari VCS (search "generative music on the atari 2600"). For something more tied to the register set of the soundchip, you can e.g. take the VIC-20 code from my article "16-byte frontier" as the basis and substitute a SID address there. (I've tried it, it works fine). 4mat has also some standalone C-64 bit-twiddler music besides Wallflower.

[reconstructiv]

@viznut i would be very curious about doing this on C64, you know anything about that or have a link to anything?

[jarblewarble]

(t>>((t>>(3)|t>>(5)))&(63)&t>>­7)*t

[flamepygmy]

Inspired by this, I made my own: youtube.com/watch?v=ePN8cyaU0o­g

[TheLifeEnigma]

What?! That was incredible! Definitely something to play around with and sample!

[twitchalmighty]

Have any of you ever thought of perhaps using these in a signal transmitted through SETI, or by a similar organization? The Algorithmic patterns seen in each of the tunes, if received by an extraterrestrial Intelligence, may in fact be recognized as such. Where all three iterations would have to be sent. Only curious.

[MagicalSunrise1984]

hehe - real cool!

[jarblewarble]

t*((t>>9|t>>13)&(t)&t>>10)

[jarblewarble]

@Sphereal I think many of Aphex Twin's songs could have been composed using samples of the output of these simple programs, re-arranged in more "harmonic" ways.

[jarblewarble]

@Sphereal I wonder whether he was inspired by this. I'm an Aphex Twin fan and I also like computer-generated music.