Almost every MIDI sequencer program for computer generated music has a way you can "randomize", or vary the start and stop times of your notes so that they don't appear precisely on the beat. This is supposed to make your music sound "more natural", and prevent it from sounding "overly precise and mechanical". In this collection of pieces, I have deliberately not used any of this; instead I let the computer play with the preciseness and uniformity that only a computer can produce, giving it the same artistic appeal that a well-done mechanical drawing can have. Instruments can play fast, without having to stop for breath, at any extreme of their range, perfectly every time.
In this Mechanical Music I let the machine sound unashamedly like a machine.
The tunes are as follows:
Fugue in 5
A fugue in 5/4 time, using the basic electronic trinity of sawtooth, square, and sine wave.
Jig Fugue
A fugue in gentle 6/8 time.
Slip Jig Fugue
The first fugue I wrote, obviously inspired by J.S. Bach's Fugue in G Major in 6/8 time, colloquially known as the "Jig" Fugue. This one is in 9/8, like another traditional Irish dance.
Fuga al Huapango
A fugue in the pattern of a traditional Mexican dance - in hemiola rhythm, 6/8 time alternating with 3/4.
Fugue in 7
A fugue in 7/4 time, using the aforementioned electronic trinity.
The Sailor's Fugue
The traditional fiddle tune, The Sailor's Hornpipe, struck me as being ideal for fugal treatment with its many sequential patterns.
Fugal Rag
A fugue in ragtime, with syncopated counterpoint.
Thing
One of my first pieces, conceived when I was back in high school, but not realized until the computer came into my life.
Polygalumphry
A theme with variations, in 9/8 time.
Culligatawny
Maybe you could call this a slip-and-slide jig. It is in 15/8.
Weggis Fair
This takes the traditional Swiss folk tune and contorts it into 5/4 time. It is played by a virtual clarinet sextet.
Fungers
This is also in 15/8 time, for virtual double reeds.
Fletscherwilligen
A piece for oom-pa-pa-pa-pah band, in 5/4.
The Joyous Jig
I love 6/8 time, so here are some jigs.
This one is just what its title says, a dance for joy.
The Libidinous Jig
If you could belly dance to a jig, this could be a good one for it.
The Frivolous Jig
I have the unshakable feeling that I have heard this melody somewhere before, but I can't recall exactly where.
The Vivacious Jig
This is a piece that I believe can only be performed by a computer. I defy any live musicians anywhere to play it as cleanly.
Butterfly Bill is the name I go by at Rainbow Gatherings, Renaissance Faires, and on the Internet, and the name I wish to have my art associated with. Most of my life I have made my living as an odd-jobbing construction worker. The instrument I perform live on most often is the ashiko drum. I have played French horn, tuba, baritone, flute, mandolin, guitar, and Irish harp, and I have composed for concert band. Now most of my energy is directed toward learning how to play the computer, and discovering its potential.
Track List:
1. Fugue in 5
2. Jig Fugue
3. Slip Jig Fugue
4. Fuga al Huapango
5. Fugue in 7
6. The Sailor's Fugue
7. The Fugal Rag
8. Thing
9. Polygalumphry
10. Culligatawny
11. Weggis Fair
12. Fungers
13. Fletscherwilligen
14. The Joyous Jig
15. The Libidinous Jig
16. The Frivolous Jig
17. The Vivacious Jig
Suggested CDs:
Other Genres:
