Partially and more fully algorithmic jazz created using generative systems developed as part of the MUICA project. Pieces are listed in REVERSE chronological order (newest first). See individual tracks for information on how the pieces were created.

Algo-Jazz

Algorithmically generated jazz for three parts: bass, harmony, and lead. Generated using stochastic algorithms implemented with Haskell & Euterpea. An output score in MIDI format was rendered to audio with virtual instruments in a digital audio workstation.

Image taken from this visualization of the piece: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4TYrjNNW9o&feature=youtu.be

33rd & 5th

Largely algorithmic work using Euterpea. Only the standard drum kit was hand-made. The other parts were stochastically generated in segments ranging in length from 1 to 16 measures, which were arranged in a DAW. The parts are a mix of human and computer performances. The opening synthesizer's parts were printed out as sheet music and the performance recorded on a ROLI Seaboard Block.

Phyllorhiza

Algo-jazz remix of a piece of mine from quite a few years ago. Since some melodies and certain important bass riffs are from the original, this one is about 50% algorithmic. Two algorithmic frameworks were used: a Python-based interactive bossa nova generator(which was given a lead sheet for the III-ii-i-i-III-IV-i-i progression) and a little bit of Haskell/Euterpea for the high synth. The Python framework is part of my work on the MUSICA project and is an outgrowth of a similar but non-interactive jazz generator I wrote with Haskell.

Lobophyllia II

Largely algorithmic bebop. My alterations were high level section arrangement (to yield repetition in a few spots) and a bit of tweaks to the start/ends of large drum sections to make it smooth. The rest is the work of some infinite jazz generator algorithms I've been working on for the past few months.

An explanation of the title:
Picture an elegant woman with a large Gucci purse getting on the subway in NYC. She sits down one seat over and sets her bag in the seat next to you. A while later, you hear raspy, gurgling noises. You look over and, sticking out of the top of the bag, there is an animated mass of fur that looks like the sort of thing you pull out of a drain. You can't tell whether this animal is actually looking at you because its eyes are pointing in different directions. Teeth are sticking out at odd angles. It becomes unclear whether it's growling or if this is simply how it breaths. Does it want you to pet it? Does it want to brutally murder you and eat your soul? There is no way to tell, so you awkwardly look straight ahead and keep an eye on it from the reflection on the windows. The train comes to a stop, the creature sinks back into the abyss from whence it came, and the woman gracefully exits with her handbag of horrors. You have just experienced an Ugly Purse Dog.

Ugly Purse Dog

Algorithmically generated jazz from ~300 lines of code. There are no human-made notes in this, and there is no high-level arranging either. It's a solid, single generation that can also continue indefinitely without ever repeating. This is the first of my algo-jazz series to be hands-off to this degree.

Post-code human influence in this was the choice of random seed to kick it off, choice of instruments, a bit of track-level volume shifting to match the instruments, adding reverb, and fading the start/end. 

The code was written in Haskell using the Euterpea library along with a concise  jazz type system and generative framework that I've been working on over the last year. The output from this code is a MIDI stream or file. A separate algorithm was also used in post-processing the MIDI to introduce very minor volume and tempo irregularities in the notes to help soften the effect of simultaneous note onsets.

Hypnotize

Pondering the sculpture known as The Cube at Astor Place in NYC.

This is using Haskell/Euterpea and is largely using the models described here: http://donyaquick.com/generative-jazz/

Funny story to this: this piece was done almost entirely during a lengthy power outage. I had 70% battery left on a MacBook pro and decided to see how far I'd get. To conserve power and stretch my available time, I also did it largely outside my DAW with just Simple Synth, so it sounded really tacky until I was almost done with it and put it through better instruments. In the end, my battery got me very close to the final product! I just did a bit of mixing-type stuff the following day when the power came back on. Naturally, the code is hideous due to my battery-induced rush, but hey - it works.

The Cube

Bossa nova version of "The Cube." Dropped in some different algorithmic musicians to see what would happen. Was pleasantly surprised. Just like the original "The Cube," this is largely using the model described here:

http://donyaquick.com/generative-jazz/

Tempo changes were added in a DAW after exporting the piece.

The Cube Squared

Decided to turn my latest algorithmic bossa nova band loose on a lead sheet based on an old piece of mine called "Ramen Noodles." The only "fixed" parts of this lead sheet that are essentially human made are the opening melody (which you'll hear again mid-way through) and the abstract chords. Everything else is a happy little algorithm jamming along. The algo-keyboardist trends towards being a bit on the insane side, but hey...I don't have to play it, so he can do what he wants this time. 

Funny story related this: apparently decent parts of the piece are best modeled using alterations of various modes, which is a bit more theoretically sound than "minor with a bit of funky chromaticism here and there" as I had it in my brain at the time I wrote it I was fully aware of what modes were, just didn't think I was using them for whatever reason. Interesting how things like that work in the brain and how communicating them to a computer requires a bit of care.

If you want to hear the original, completely human-made Ramen Noodles, it's also on SoundCloud here: https://soundcloud.com/donyaquick/ramen-noodles

Tonkotsu Ramen

Some algo-jazz with sections made in Haskell/Euterpea and then arranged in a DAW with VSTs.

Mr. Smiley

Rain On A Monday

Fun with big piano algo-chords. The particular algorithms in this were inspired by having recently played the game Superliminal.

Knight on the Right

Mixed algorithmic and hand-made parts. This uses some of the same algorithms as Knight on the Right (and Knight on Your Other Right).

Frosted Glass

Mixed-genre electronic and algorithmic compositions.

Algo-Jazz

DonyaQuick