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Large parts of my musical life have required the analysis and recreation of songs using synthesizers and a computer. Naturally enough, I've become reasonably good at manipulating sounds and emulating "real" instruments. But it's doubtful that many music fans care whether, for example, the saxophone in the song they're listening to is real or synthetic; synthesizing a saxophone is merely a convenience - it's cheaper than hiring a saxophonist and easier than learning to play the thing. So now, with my focus on composing and recording, I like the idea of using those sound manipulation and imitative skills in a more imaginative way. What music can be created with a computer and synthesizers that can't be created with real instruments and players? Is it limited to spacey or overtly electronic sounding music? Or can it sound more organic, even without being imitative? Virtuosos often seem to be able to do anything, but they still have to operate within the capabilities of the human body and physical instruments. What would happen if those restrictions were taken away? What can the imagination do that fingers can't? Obviously, for example, a computer can play music at impossibly fast speeds, but that's just a short-lived novelty. What could be done that's musically effective but only possible with electronics? Do we instinctively find musical value only in what can be played by a real person on a real instrument? Or are there whole worlds of satisfying musical possibilities lurking in those circuits? IMAGINABLE MUSIC is my attempt to answer those questions, beginning with Figments. |
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