Music with unconventional computing: towards a step sequencer from plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum

Edward Braund
,
Eduardo Miranda

Interdisciplinary Centre for Computer Music Research
,
University of Plymouth

Research Output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Conference contribution Peer-review

Abstract

The field of computer music has evolved in tandem with advances made in computer science. We are interested in how the developing field of unconventional computation may provide new pathways for music and related technologies. In this paper, we outline our initial work into harnessing the behaviour of the biological computing substrate Physarum polycephalum for a musical step sequencer. The plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum is an amorphous unicellular organism, which moves like a giant amoeba as it navigates its environment for food. Our research manipulates the organism’s route-efficient propagation characteristics in order to create a growth environment for musical/sound arrangement. We experiment with this device in two different scenarios: sample triggering and MIDI note triggering using sonification techniques.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Conference contribution Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 15-26 (12 pages)

Publication milestones

Published - 01/01/2015

Publication status

Published - 01/01/2015

Publisher

Springer, Japan, India, Australia, Germany, United States, United Arab Emirates, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, China, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Brazil, France, Singapore

Publication series

Publication series name: Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
ISSN (Print): 0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic): 1611-3349
Volume: 9027