One-bit Music

GHoosdumGHoosdum Icrontian
edited July 2011 in Science & Tech
Tristan Perich, a musician and geek, has created a form of music that encodes entire songs in 1-bit streams, along with a player housed in a CD case. This player contains an entire album of music on an 8kb chip. They will be sold online and in stores for $20 to $25 each.
Clearly in his element, Perich turned on a One Bit track, filling the darkened, standing-room-only Chelsea gallery room with blips and beeps. Though reminiscent of old-school Nintendo games, the music sounded fuller than expected, given the size of the device's chip.

Yet, it is one-bit music, Perich said, meaning at any moment in time the music is represented by just one bit of information.

Perich handed an audience member a console with a pair of headphones, which slowly made its way around the room while he spoke.

The project gets to the root of electronic music, he said, as all the sounds are written as MIDI files in the zeros and ones of binary code.

"The kind of extremely digital nature of binary information is what I was getting at," he explained.
The wired article contains some demo tracks for your aural enjoyment.

Source: Wired

Comments

  • airbornflghtairbornflght Houston, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    okayy....I guess if we all want to listen to american idiot in beeps and borks we now are free to do so.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    That is so cool. His version of Fischerspooner's "Just Let Go" is awesome
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    hmm, it isn't technically 1 bit music because I heard 5 or so "instruments" playing at the same time... they would also need code to tell what frequency to play the sound at to create the right tone...
  • CammanCamman NEW! England Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    I thought it was irritating
  • botheredbothered Manchester UK
    edited September 2005
    Sounds like the Rolf Harris trio with their Stylophones.
  • jradminjradmin North Kackalaki
    edited September 2005
    Man, I almost wanted to go find an old 8 bit Nintendo and play some games. Heh, my boss came in my office wanting to know why I was playing games on company time. I told him this was the next generation of music and he also fell over.
  • airbornflghtairbornflght Houston, TX Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    it makes me want to shoot my self...
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    filling the darkened, standing-room-only Chelsea gallery room with blips and beeps
    Sounds about the same in complexity with much of the formula music that passes for pop music these days. (yes, another grouchy old dude opinion :D )
  • BuddyJBuddyJ Dept. of Propaganda OKC Icrontian
    edited September 2005
    primesuspect wrote:
    That is so cool. His version of Fischerspooner's "Just Let Go" is awesome

    Agreed. I totally dig it. :thumbsup:
  • entropyentropy Yah-Der-Hey (Wisconsin)
    edited September 2005
    Leonardo wrote:
    Sounds about the same in complexity with much of the formula music that passes for pop music these days. (yes, another grouchy old dude opinion :D )
    You are correct, sir!

    (and that guy has the same name as me, only spelled different)
  • StarmanStarman Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    Just stumbled across this. I love me some 8-bit music, but I agree with the old-timers: this is annoying. But it's kinda cool in some ways too. I'm conflicted. : /
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    :necro:
  • StarmanStarman Icrontian
    edited July 2011
    XD
    It was linked to my "pumped" thread, so I checked it out. I downloaded one of the files from the link and it made my ears bleed a little.
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