11 - Generative

Generative - Brian Eno

This composition is based on Brian Eno's Generative Music. The guidelines were:

• Create a "systems" piece based on either or both of the two generative procedures we have looked at:
• Using a "time lag accumulator" to create a texture of layered repeats.
• Use irregular loops to produce organically-developing soundscapes.

Research

This piece is based on Eno's Music for Airports. The creation of the original Eno piece is detailed below.

"The composition uses tape loops of different lengths to be repetitive and relaxing while still introducing new ideas and musical thoughts to move the piece forward. Eno also uses fades and clumping to introduce the different instrumental tracks in new ways once we've initially heard them. Talking about a section of tape with two pianos, Eno told Downbeat in 1979 that, "To make a piece of music out of it, I cut that part out, made a stereo loop on the 24-track, then I discovered I liked it best at half speed, so the instruments sounded very soft, and the whole movement was very slow." It's interesting to think that while it all sounds so smooth and placid, there's really a lot of technical manipulation going on to make the piece sound so serene. " (Gizmodo, 2014)

Choice of Method

I chose to use method two. My main reason for choosing it was that the rest of the class appeared to be going with option 1 and, as this whole style of music is inherently generic, I wasted to take whatever steps I could for it to be different.

Choice of sound

I wanted to create a very simple and smooth sounding piece to try and emulate Eno's works. This led me to use a very pure effect within NI's Massive with a slow attack and release. 

Massive synth patch

Not wanting to overdo things on the texture front I decided to use the same patch for 3 of the parts, Bass, middle and high. I also wanted to experiment with low end detail so that i could add interesting things to the piece without them standing out too much. The bass end of the piece uses notes as low a D-4 - a note that is inaudible on many sound systems, especially those without a subwoofer..

In working so in-depth with the low end of the pice i had realised that I had neglected the high end. To rectify this i added a loop of very quiet chimes that were staggered throughout the piece.

Method

To replicate Eno's generative loops I made sure that al the arts I had created were of differing lengths. I then brought them in progressively and had them loop throughout and end at different points.

Overview of edit window 

Special Snowflake

The title of this piece comes from a derogatory term meaning "different, just like everybody else". It is used as a description of the track and my feeling that it has no meaning as a composition except that it is not the same as another composition. I feel it portrays nothing and says nothing. The only value it has is that it wasn't written by anybody else.

References

Gizmodo. 2014. Brian Eno — Ambient 1: Music for Airports. [ONLINE] Available at: http://gizmodo.com/brian-eno-ambient-1-music-for-airports-1448857679. [Accessed 29 May 2014].