We can represent any sound with a matrix of numbers; it's the process that occurs when we convert from analog to digital. I don't think it would be difficult to develop a program that intelligently selected notes to play in sequence based on western tonality (or maybe any tonality?).
I don't think I'd feel deceived by computer generated music. If it's good, I'll enjoy it regardless. It sounds strange to emotionally resonate with music not crafted by humans, but I suppose it could string the right words together to trigger some emotion.
To be honest, this the first really scary robots-will-take-over-the-world thing I've ever read. I don't really know how I feel about it right now, but I'll think about it. Not sure I'll gather my thoughts in an answer, but thanks anyway outlaw, it was a good read
Post subject: Re: Computer Generated Music & Albums
an_outlaw wrote:
No human hands, the computer composed the whole thing using patterns and doing what it was programmed to do.
That's the flaw in your story (emphasis mine). Unless you're implying it was programmed by a computer, which was itself programmed by another, programmed itself by yet another... wait, no, it doesn't work
Post subject: Re: Computer Generated Music & Albums
Norman Bates wrote:
That's the flaw in your story (emphasis mine). Unless you're implying it was programmed by a computer, which was itself programmed by another, programmed itself by yet another... wait, no, it doesn't work
Is the computer programmer a musician in this case? Norman Bates, you've added something else entirely to this.
Like the computer program picks all the lyrics, notes and everything else, deciding on what will work best within the parameters of the programing but the person inputting the commands is technically the musician? They could input it so it works towards a mix of The Smiths 'The Queen Is Dead', Violent Femmes debut and The Flaming Lips 'The Soft Bulletin' and the computer program create something using patturns it notices from each, as well a following rules and cliches when writing contemporary music. In no more than a minute or so the end product comes out sounding exactly as though 4 musicians decided to record an album in 2014 with those albums as their biggest influences.
Perhaps by analyzing trends in what is called 'indie', 'Indie rock', 'indie pop' and 'alternative' it will have a generic idea of what each sounds like even if they overlap a lot when people describe music?
If this computer program is copied to another computer and someone who didn't program it inputted commands and got a bunch of new albums, are they the musician behind the album or would it be the computer programmer? Remember the computer programmer hasn't heard a single sound on the new albums arranged in the way they are, no more different than a keyboard manufacturer who hasn't heard an awesome 2015 single using their product. If it is the person who inputted the commands, they have put in as little work as someone who chooses the map stipulations in their 'Civilization' game. It was the computer program itself who created the map based on the rules and forumla's which were created by the programmers.
I haven't finished reading the rest of the posts yet. I'm not intending it to sound end of the world or doom and gloom. It's a cool idea I have found.
To anyone who believes something by a computer program can't create music which sounds emotional as anything on your chart, what do believe the "human element" is?
I don't think I'd feel deceived by computer generated music. If it's good, I'll enjoy it regardless. It sounds strange to emotionally resonate with music not crafted by humans, but I suppose it could string the right words together to trigger some emotion.
Simply improve the computer program. If you were told an album was created by 3-5 humans each with a conveniently packaged backstory of their lives, would you be able to truly tell? Sounds cold and emotionally void? Improve the computer program until it produces something heartwrenching and soulful. Can only merely "string the right words together"? Improve the computer program until it produces lyrics which can convince anyone, unless told otherwise, this is not the work of a computer program but instead someone with real life experiences, even though it could never grasp the concept of an experience as it can only follow what it has been programmed to do.
Improve the computer program. In the end it all boils down to that. Sure it's not something we will see until the second half of the century but what can't be emulated? What is truly human which can't be at least flawlessly mimicked?
There's an intensity, a rawness, a pain that is individual. I don't think a computer could dupe me by making it's voice sound as pained as Elliott Smith's for example.
Simply study what is "pained" in Elliott Smith's voice, look for patterns in the pitch, timbre and everything else, reduce the whole thing to numbers and variables, program them into the software, input the numbers into the computer program and... voilà! You can get a voice which sounds as "pained" as in any Elliott Smith song along with a handy sliding bar which dicatates how much "emotion" goes into the vocals.
benpaco wrote:
I mean, if it can, I still don't know if I'm in favor of it, but if it can, I'd listen to it. It takes away a specialness to it, the story behind it - really, what's an album like Closer without Ian's personal life, or Electro-Shock Blues without the loss of E's sister? There's the stories ... no computer can have those stories. Again, maybe I'm wrong. We'll see.
This is actually the one thing a computer program can't do. If the program is unknown you could hire actors, give them a backstory, do Gorillaz with real people and make it all so convincing. Perhaps they will win awards for their emotional and beautiful piece of music. Perhaps they won't be their to get the awards as you choose the "they are hermits" path to give them a mysterious air. In this way, the music will have a story even if it isn't true. When the truth comes out however and all the real musicians are being diligently watched like the vegan punk fans of the band 'Crass' in the 70s watched each other (You know, are they really vegan? Are they really producing music?) then it would become a lot harder to get away with it. The music which is made by a computer program will be called as it is and if you try to say otherwise, good luck keeping the lie as the amount of listeners grow.
The computer program can't have a story and life experiences.
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Norman Bates, you've added something else entirely to this.
You can get a voice which sounds as "pained" as in any Elliott Smith song along with a handy sliding bar which dicatates how much 
