This is Infinite Horizon, the new product from Mungo Enterprises, who also invented my favourite thing at Messe. It's an autonomous trance track generator: "The basic concept behind it is that most "classic" dance music is so formulaic it should be easy for a computer to generate. Generating all patterns and sequences from a small set of rules the unit is able to deliver new and original tracks in realtime." Obviously this is easy enough to do in software, but Mungo has actually made a hardware box. (via the excellent new Sendling blog)
8/10/2006
Grey box writes its own cheesy dance tracks
This is Infinite Horizon, the new product from Mungo Enterprises, who also invented my favourite thing at Messe. It's an autonomous trance track generator: "The basic concept behind it is that most "classic" dance music is so formulaic it should be easy for a computer to generate. Generating all patterns and sequences from a small set of rules the unit is able to deliver new and original tracks in realtime." Obviously this is easy enough to do in software, but Mungo has actually made a hardware box. (via the excellent new Sendling blog)
I was waiting for this to happen. I hear one is already in the works for corporate pop music :)
ReplyDeleteIf creativity is last on the list for a record company (money being first), why not save yourself the trouble and let technology solve your problems for you?
This reminds me of an old app by Arguru called Saiko. You cant still download it (for windows) and see for yourself. Arguru works (or worked, I don't know) for SmartElectronix and also made the tracker that later gave birth to Renoise.
ReplyDeletewho is this "Grey Box" i keep hearing so much about?
ReplyDeleteRaymond Scott invented something like this (although much larger) over 50 years ago. Check it out http://raymondscott.com/Electron.html
ReplyDeleteraymond scott is a bad mamma jamma
ReplyDeletem. mothersbaugh is the current owner of the electronium and has vowed to get it fully functional.. which still hasnt happened yet
Er, Madplayer, anyone?
ReplyDeleteI like the demos. Would like one of these boxes. Nothing wrong with algorithmic music. Once it's patterned and parametrized, let the machines at it.
ReplyDelete"Messe" is not really a comprehensive abbreviation for the Musikmesse Frankfurt, as "Messe" just means fair or exhibition.
ReplyDeleteI wrote a music-synthesis engine like this for making dynamic video game soundtracks. It's only been used in Sprung (a crappy Nintendo DS game by UbiSoft, where I worked when I wrote it), and it wasn't used anywhere remotely close to how I intended it.
ReplyDeleteI concur that this is intriguing, rather than an ode to capitalism. The capitalists have opted to an even more diabolical method - simply re-releasing existing music instead of making new music.
ReplyDeleteI'm still waiting for the commercial version of the John Williams score computer, though.
ReplyDeleteSo, the big red button is the standard industrail safety-off switch? Good to know... :-)
ReplyDelete