Thursday, September 18, 2008

Iannis Xenakis - Metastasis

This piece has always blown me away. When I first heard it, it was like nothing I had ever listened to. I found it so absurdly wonderful that someone had turned an orchestra into the most foreboding and dark cluster of noise I had ever experienced. The rhythmic complexities make one feel that there is no real composition, but rather totally random notes chosen by the instrumentalist, that somehow agree with each other. I just showed this video to my suite mate and it took him almost two thirds of the piece to realize he was listening to an orchestra playing.

This video is in spectral view, so its just like working with Frequency. In a way, it's is as though we can see a painting he created with his sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2O8bMlEijg

If you thought that was cool then check out this video of Aphex Twin's
Mi−1 = −αΣn=1NDi[n][Σj∈C{i}Fij[n − 1] + Fexti[n−1]]." Be sure to watch the last 2 minutes of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-KMFxzA_Lk

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