The Glass Bead Game by Bill Schaeffer

Algorithmic Commodore64 Graphics

Algorithmic "Disko" music

with new and improved end credits and correct spelling



From 1984 till 1988 I experimented with pattern generation programs written for the Commodore64 personal computer. In the early 1980's this was an amazing machine and Commodore64 ruled the nerdscape. This video consists of five of my favorite routines set to music recorded at the CERL PLATO Music research project, Univeristy of Illinois, in 1985.




The music "Disko" is generated in realtime and was recorded on Beta Max hi-Fi. The routine would play infinitely once started, and this sample is from my cd "PLATO Computer Music 1986" available at www.cdbaby.com

These programs were real fun to write and I am lucky they still exist, so I can upload them to youtube.




Commodore64 rules




Long live the Commodore64

Long live BASIC

Long live PLATO

Long live Tutor



The title "The Glass Bead Game" is an homage to the ideas in the Book by Herman Hesse by the same name. ALSO the little round dots of the fourth animation always reminded me of colored jewels, or glass beads, mounted in a celestial breastplate and lit from within. The first animation is called "Bead Curtain", and from there, with a little cybernetic reasoning, it was only a short step to the idea of "The Glass Bead Game."




Someday there really will be a true glass bead game played worldwide over "the network" and the winners will work to improve the game for the good of all humanity. And eventually, it will preserve the accumulated knowledge of all cultures during the final tribulations and then later during the dark ages...

But for now, we play with basic if then else routines on our livingroom floor and just wait...

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• algorithmic
• art
• Commodore64
• Disko
• PLATO
• Computer
• Music
• 1986
• Bill
• Schaeffer
• classic video game
• synthesizer
• arcade
• synthesized music
• artificial
• intelligence
• production
• system
• expert
• AI
• electronic
• robot