Article for premiere of Daniel Ross’ Maderna Remix for Classical Remix
Algorithmic composition is an elusive practice to define. Far from being a neatly pigeonholed genre or style, algorithmic refers to the employment of some sort of process or function, which in this case results in sound. A numerical recipe for music. The processes can be achieved with or without the help of a computer, indeed the often pen-and-paper calculations of Serialism is a definitive example of rule-based composition.
Machine listening is a similarly nebulous field. Broadly speaking, it describes the analysis and subsequent categorisation of sound entering a computer via a microphone. The computer might be listening for pitches, or a sequence of pitches, which when recognised will be categorised. These analyses might then prompt a musical response or instruction encoded in the machine. The computer becomes a pair of ears designed with a specific way of classifying and reacting to sound.
Employing algorithmic and machine listening processes is not simply a technology-led practice. What these terms really indicate is the synthesis of different ideas formed through the choices and circumstances of a composer’s tools and environment. The algorithms contain, engage with and emphasise existing human relationships and behaviours. In the case of a classical remix we hear a blend of numerous voices in a novel and unique configuration.
So what happens when you use algorithms and machine listening to remix work as fiercely embodied as Bruno Maderna’s? Daniel James Ross can tell us. Working both with non-realtime (studio) and realtime (live) software, Ross draws together a set of tightly curated algorithmic tools across his compositions. Many of these tools are of his own design for composition and performance, and all are bespoke. The algorithms Ross employs are ones that he has developed and refined over years, collaborating with software designers and musicians to define his own sound in code. This extended development-time means that the code that Ross has designed is an expression of his own energetic musical style, which also audibly preserves the essence of Maderna’s own processes and aesthetic.
The employment of algorithmic and machine listening processes in the search of new hybrid voices is an integral part of the story. But it’s the musical content lying at their heart that really makes them sing.
Article can also be found on the Classical Remix Website