Decomposition Theory: a Practice-Based Study of Popular Music Composition Strategies
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University of Huddersfield Repository Wolinski, Paul Decomposition Theory: A Practice-Based Study of Popular Music Composition Strategies Original Citation Wolinski, Paul (2019) Decomposition Theory: A Practice-Based Study of Popular Music Composition Strategies. Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield. This version is available at http://eprints.hud.ac.uk/id/eprint/35278/ The University Repository is a digital collection of the research output of the University, available on Open Access. Copyright and Moral Rights for the items on this site are retained by the individual author and/or other copyright owners. 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October 2019 © University of Huddersfield 2019 Copyright Statement The following notes on copyright and the ownership of intellectual property rights must be included as written below: i. The author of this thesis (including any appendices and/ or schedules to this thesis) owns any copyright in it (the “Copyright”) and they have given The University of Huddersfield the right to use such Copyright for any administrative, promotional, educational and/or teaching purposes. ii. Copies of this thesis, either in full or in extracts, may be made only in accordance with the regulations of the University Library. Details of these regulations may be obtained from the Librarian. Details of these regulations may be obtained from the Librarian. This page must form part of any such copies made. iii. The ownership of any patents, designs, trademarks and any and all other intellectual property rights except for the Copyright (the “Intellectual Property Rights”) and any reproductions of copyright works, for example graphs and tables (“Reproductions”), which may be described in this thesis, may not be owned by the author and may be owned by third parties. Such Intellectual Property Rights and Reproductions cannot and must not be made available for use without permission of the owner(s) of the relevant Intellectual Property Rights and/or Reproductions. Contents Abstract 7 List of Submitted Works 8 0. Introduction 10 0.1 Aims of this Study 10 0.2 Background and Rationale 13 0.3 Methodology 20 0.4 Literature Overview 22 0.5 Project Overview 29 1. Phase One 33 1.1 Introduction to Phase One 33 1.2 Full Bleed A/V 35 1.2.1 Object Oriented Noise 35 1.2.2 Conceptual Spaces 35 1.2.3 Sound Objects/Performing Physics 37 1.2.4 The Show 38 1.2.5 The After-show 41 1.3 Gravity 43 1.3.1 If in Doubt 43 1.3.2 The Audience Perspective 43 1.3.3 HEAT DEATH INFINITY SPLITTER 44 1.3.4 Gravity 49 1.3.5 Reflections 52 1.3.6 Phrase Maker 53 1.3.7 Conclusions 55 1.4 Live Coding 56 1.4.1 The Lure of the Code 56 1.4.3 Going Live 59 1.4.4 Invisible Coding 62 1.4.5 Conclusion 65 1.5 White Noise Festival 68 1.5.1 An Accidental Research Question 68 1.5.2 Pragmatic Strategies 69 1.5.3 MIDI Clip Wrangling 70 1.5.4 WNF.Output 71 1.5.5 WNF.Reflections 71 1.5.6 WNF.Conclusions 72 1.6 Music From Game Engines 73 1.6.1 Unity Triptych 73 1.6.2 EGX.Project 73 1.6.3 EGX.Output 74 1.6.4 MONOSATT.Project 76 1.6.5 MONOSATT.Output 77 1.6.6 MONOSATT.Conclusions 78 1.6.7 Post-Keyhole.Project 79 1.6.8 Post-Keyhole.Output 80 1.6.9 Post-Keyhole.Conclusions 81 1.7 Chapter Summary 82 2. No Man's Sky 87 2.1 Introduction to No Man's Sky 87 2.1.1 What is No Man's Sky? 87 2.1.2 Project Overview 88 2.2 All That is Solid... 93 2.2.1 Variform 93 2.2.2 The Main Album 95 2.2.3 The Album Soundscapes 96 2.2.4 The Pulse Soundscapes 99 2.2.5 The Pathfinder Soundscapes 105 2.3 No Man's Sky Live 106 2.3.1 What Happens in Vegas 106 2.3.2 Sonar 108 2.3.3 2Fly Studio Session 112 2.3.4 Tour 114 2.3.5 Reflections on NMS Live 115 2.4 Reflections on Infinity 117 2.4.1 Chronotypology 117 2.4.2 Inevitably, it's Hegel 118 2.5 Chapter Summary 122 3. Phase Two 124 3.1 Introduction to Phase Two 124 3.1.1 Too Much Thinking 124 3.1.2 NaN Bpm 125 3.1.3 Transcending Atemporality 126 3.2 Fully Automated Luxury Composition 128 3.2.1 FALC in Context 128 3.2.2 FALC Reflections 129 3.3 Zombie Coding 130 3.3.1 Zombie Coding in Context 130 3.3.2 Further Reflections 132 3.4 Studio Based Music Generation 134 3.4.1 Intuitive Noise 134 3.4.2 Leaves 134 3.4.3 Scout & GoN 136 3.4.4 Backstage 138 3.5 ZGEN - Generative Live Performance 139 3.5.1 Live Collaboration With Algorithms 139 3.5.2 Z1 141 3.6 Chapter Summary 143 4. Decomposition Theory 144 4.1 Composing Decomposition 144 4.1.1 Ideas/Manifesto 144 4.1.2 Development Process 145 4.1.3 The Practice 147 4.2 Technical Breakdown 149 4.2.1 Euclidean Beats 149 4.2.2 Curved Beats 154 4.2.3 Mountain 155 4.3 Performances, Stage Setup and Roles 158 4.4 Reflections 162 4.4.1 Decomp in Context 162 4.4.2 The Question of Visibility 163 4.5 Chapter Summary 165 5. Post Phase 168 5.1 Introduction to Post Phase 168 5.2 Decomp Futures 169 5.3 Nines 172 5.4 Budapest Live Show 174 5.5 65days.OS, KMF and A Year of Wreckage 177 5.6 Chapter Summary 182 6. Conclusion 184 6.1 Summary 184 6.2 A Critical Framework for Composition 187 6.3 A New Means of Disseminating Work 190 6.4 Theoretical Underpinnings of Decomposition Theory 192 Appendices 197 Appendix I: 65daysofstatic Discography 197 Appendix II: Full Bleed 197 Appendix III: YrCodeIsBadAndYouShouldFeelBad 198 Appendix IV: Fully Automated Luxury Composition 198 Appendix V: Zombie Coding 198 Appendix VI: Behaviour Tree Notes 198 Appendix VII: Future Music Interview 199 Bibliography 200 Abstract Bands as social and cultural forces primarily release albums and go on tour. These well established, popular forms for recording, presenting and performing music seem somewhat antiquated, similar now to how bands acted fifty years ago. This means that bands are not necessarily able to properly embrace new musical potentials that open up as technology evolves. The goal of this study is to establish how new forms of expression and alternative modes of composition can be utilised by bands and solo artists working in the commercial popular music industry. It aims to do this through a practice-based exploration that specifically embraces unique or unconventional approaches to composition in the context of popular music. The algorithmic and interactive strategies for music making that are focussed on in this study have been well covered in the academic literature, as have critical histories surrounding the evolution of popular music over the last century, up to and including its current moment. However, so far nobody has explored how emerging technologies might be applied to popular music forms from the perspective of an active participant working at a professional level in the music industry. This is what makes this study unique and significant. To answer these questions, this study describes a new methodology. Decomposition Theory is a critically aware approach to music-making that sees composition as a dialectical process based around constructing musical and audio-visual systems that have the ability to generate endless musical potentialities. Established forms for popular music, such as songs, albums or live performances, can then be ‘decomposed’ from these systems. This is demonstrated through a collection of practice-based research at differing scales, from custom algorithmic functions generating individual phrases and rhythms at the micro scale, to large, audio-visual live performances, infinitely-long generative video game soundtracks, and new means of disseminating musical and audio-visual projects digitally at the macro scale. A theoretical grounding for the methodology is included in this accompanying written commentary. This study finds that by bands putting Decomposition Theory into practice — that is by developing a new critical awareness to their own working practice, and viewing composition as a dialectical process rather than measuring it through completed musical productions — they need not be tied to established popular musical forms, but can discover new modes of reflection, composition, and alternative means for disseminating their work. 7 List of Submitted Works Chapter One: Phase One Audio: • 1. Satt • 2. Monos • 3. MidiFlood • 4. Heat Death Infinity Splitter (Excerpt) • 5. Gravity • 6.