M.Regtien  °  Computer Manipulated Improvisations Texts

CMI I CMI II CMI III "Computer Manipulated Improvisations I" Part 1 See the description of Part 16 Part 2 Part 2 is audible clearly the first part recorded in this serie: there was not yet a clear idea with respect to the possibilities and restrictions of the computer (ATARI 1040ST) and one synthesizer (Yamaha DX-7, maximum 16 polyphonic). These raw sounding improvisation searches the borderlines by means of an extended 100% punctual canon (punctuality being the strength of the computer). In the course of the piece is audible the synthesizer cannot manage anymore its maximum of simultaneous notes and as a result, notes are brutely cutoff. Part 3a, b, c The three parts of Part 3 further explore limits of (synthesizer-)possibilities in repetition and sound. a. First part: topic concerning repeting bass. Cluster of sounds now and then cause the syn a small heart attack. b. Second part: tests in parallels & fast motives c. Third part gives up rapidly and continues in motive repetition. As soon as something of a melody pops up, the synthesizer can´t handle the abundance of impressions. Part 4 5 part strict canon on the prime for canned church organ Part 5 Originally a fugatic piece (not strict cananic).the effect of this piece was so ´minimal´ sounding that the next part... Part 6 ...deliberately was manipulated in the ´minimal´ style Part 7 Strict canonic situation for 12 simultane stringsounds. After completing the theme is repeated in retrograde. Much later it appeared to me that this CMI was very much sounding like the first part of Gorecki´s Third Symphony and that even before I ever heard that piece!! Not bad I daresay! Part 8 Part 8 I nicknamed "the PianoRAI" (dutch insidejoke)]]: Structurely exact as part 7, but now for piano, hence the beautiful subtitel "The PianoRAI" (dutch insidejoke). Part 9 A motive in repetion. The joke is that the last half-measure has been omitted so that it becomes difficult to hear where the motive starts or stops. Part 10, 11, 12, 13 Exercises in consonance, recurrence and quarter-tone tuning Part 16 Piece based on arpeggios of 12-tone ranges based upon 3-note motive plus retrogade, inversion and retrogade-inversion. This is the most strict of the CMI I and thus becoming quite dull. To bring some joyin the dullness the composer rumbleda little with the tempo. Strict composer music is allways boring! Part 15 "Nancarrow on XTC": hommage to the great Nancarrow. Part 16 By now to my opinion all limits of CMI for singlesounds had been explored: And above that: the computer manipulation became too predominant. So I played a piece just for fun... And another one which ended up as part 1 of this first serie of Computer Manipulated Improvisations. "Computer Manipulated Improvisations II" To the composer´s opinion he had explored the monotimbral possibilities of the computer-maipulation of MIDI-improvisations sufficient in the CMI I. The step to poly-timbral music therefore was obvious: allready at the end of the first serie the first numbers for the second serie arose: Part 1, 2 and 9 Means of structure in the second serie only is the reuse of a main motive in each part based upon a motive of the previous part. In computer manipulation technology CMI II adds to CMI Inothing. The mere goal of this second serie was to please the ear. "Computer Manipulated Improvisations III (NOIZ!)" Although little traditionally improvised NOIZ! certainly falls under the denominator "computer manipulated improvisations" In fact NOIZ! is a little side-step as the composer after CMI II had planned a CMI with drum/percussion sounds only. And the next obvious step after that would be something more sound-limited than drum/percssion sounds (read noise-sounds). And sound-limited pure noise is! NOIZ! consists of 6 studies, in where the composer tries to treat al aspects of noise, and that ain´t much, as pure noise (= all frequecies at the same time) quickly bores. Study I opens with high to low filter of white noise, and with that gives straight away the failure of pure noise: to make it attractive it must be filtered! In the same context can be seen the later in the study emerging rithmic motives. What the aim of Study II was, is forgotten. We only can hope future archeologists will shed their light on this. Study III is a variation on the perhaps most well-known source of noise: the vacuum-cleaner. Study IV: a traditional jazz bit based on noise samples Study V: a great canon based on noise (also incorperating drumsounds) Study VI: a study in creating drum kit noises Study VII: subtle repetition of study I.