Written: 1989
Duration: 15'
Instrumentation: alto sax (doubling Bar Chimes [Mark Tree] in Perc. 1 setup) and three percussionists (Percussion 1: 4 1/3 octave marimba, bar chimes (Mark Tree), log drum [A5], two brake drums [G5, A5], small Almglocken cowbell [G5], small Rosewood claves [E5], two computer floppy diskettes / Percussion 2: 4-octave bass marimba, two Goblet drums [Darbuka] [A4, C5], log drum [E5], two brake drums [E5, F5], medium Almglocken cowbell [E5], claves, two computer floppy diskettes / Percussion 3: concert bass drum, crotales [high octave], log drum, typing paper, brake drums [C5, D5], bell tree, cowbell, large African claves,  two computer floppy diskettes)
Premiere: Student Recital, Richard Wyman, saxophone, with David Carlisle, Robert Paterson, and Joseph Tompkins, percussion; Eastman School of Music, Rochester, NY, April 15, 1989.
Publisher: Robert Paterson Music (ASCAP)
 
This work is currently unavailable.

PROGRAM NOTE
Machines are slowly overtaking mankind; they are beginning to possess a life of their own. Androids, humanoids, computers, four-wheel vehicles, and other machines are weaving their way into our lives in both obvious and subtle ways. People in developed societies depend on them for their lives. As hypothesized in many science fiction books and films, our massive expansion of technology will eventually create machines with free will: they will be able to think and feel and will have the power to ultimately destroy us. If too many are given the power of reasoning, they may decide that we need to be terminated; we are creatures with many flaws.

Humanus Ex Machina is a work about the hypothesized, eventual downfall and deterioration of humankind resulting from being overthrown by machines. The three percussionists represent the machines and play traditional percussion instruments and “found objects” such as computer floppy disks and brake drums. Humankind, represented by an alto saxophonist, senses that mankind is about to be wiped out by its creations and triumphs over them with the greatest weapon of all, the human mind.

Humanus Ex Machina

A therapeutic journey into a mix of jazz, classical, and a blend of types of electronica.  And a wry, gradual observation that promotion tends to only go as far as you push it.  At least I make my fellow musicians laugh a little.

Rock, Rock, Rock and no Alternative …
Rock is not dead, you can validate the evidences here.
People who want to get mellow might be wrong on this site, but are more than welcome to take up some energy here 😀
I am playing guitar and Bass. Keyboards and Drums are programmed.
Mix and Mastering was done in the „N.o.b.S. Moonshine Studios“ in Mainz Germany.
Nearly everything had been recorded during the night, sometimes at daylight on weekends.

Rock,Techno,Ambient,Metal,EDM etc...
There is no border.
Enjoy freely!

I am a composer and producer of instrumental music in several genres, including ambient soundscapes, electronica, orchestral and chamber music.  

Musical influences include John Coltrane, Igor Stravinsky, Gustav Holst, Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Tangerine Dream, Robert Prince, Frank Zappa, Brian Eno, Heinrich Ignaz, Franz von Biber.

My Method of Composing and Producing
------------------------------------------
I'm sharing my method of composing and producing music recordings in case other composer-producers like me might find ideas worth exploring in their own work. I use this method for Classical, Avant-Pop or Neo-Folk Instrumental genres, not for Ambient and Soundscape pieces. Non-composers might find this explanation interesting, but having a bit of music theory background will definitely help. I consider myself a humble learner when it comes to music theory. 

I owe a debt of gratitude to British musician and educator Gareth Green, whose Music Matters online courses and free YouTube lessons have taught me so much over the past few years. Thanks to his instruction, I’ve moved from struggling to compose music by trial and error to something more enjoyable and productive. The knowledge I've gained has taken my work in new and expanding directions. As the saying goes, “Theory is not a cage — it’s a map. It doesn’t make the journey for you, but it keeps you from getting lost.” 

When I start a new piece, I begin by choosing a key, and picking a scale drawn from one of these sources:
 
1) Western Tonal / Functional Harmony - major or minor chords I II III IV V VI VII
2) Modal Harmony - Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, etc.
3) Slonimsky's "Thesaurus of Scales and Melodic Patterns" 
4) Messiaen’s "Seven Modes of Limited Transposition" 

For many pieces, I also decide on a progression, one as a simple as I IV V, or something more elaborate.  

Next I create a "scales and progressions" piano track in my DAW (digital audio workstation software) and enter the chords I to VII in my chosen key. These harmonized scales serve as a basis for writing multipart harmonies and finding pivot chords for key modulations. 

At the start, I know what instruments I want to use, making adjustments along the way. I tend to write chord parts first, then melodies created through a mix of improvisation and direct input in the DAW. Sometimes I start with a melody.

I develop melodies and variations of a phrase by some combination of: a) passing it from one instrument to another, transposing it by an interval that sounds pleasing, b) reversing it, c) inverting it around the tonic (first) note of the scale. These are well-known methods. 

After completing a section, I choose another scale and maybe a new key and repeat the process until I have a draft of the entire piece. Then I export a recording and listen to it “offline”, take notes of errors and new ideas, and incorporate them back into the piece. Often this “compose / listen / compose” cycle is repeated many times. These iterative cycles include adding new ideas, polishing transitions between sections, changing the arrangement, and incorporating expressive details like accents, and articulations (staccato, sustain, portato etc.). I’m often working several different pieces at once. 

Last is mixing and mastering: balancing the loudness between instruments and adjusting elements like reverb, compression, and equalization. I tend to mix as I compose, even though many producers frown on that approach. I find mixing as I go helps me envision the completed piece and make adjustments to the choice of instruments; it self-inspires me when the piece is starting to sound good.  At the end I do a final mix, but as the saying goes, “A mix is never finished — it’s surrendered.”

In the end, this method gives me a basis for exploration and creativity and helps me stay focused. The goal is always to make a piece of music that feels expressive, cohesive, and emotionally resonant.

These Guitars Say Sorry is the banner for a diverse range of artists, from UK singer-songwriter These Guitars Say Sorry to classical composer Jeremias Langsämmer along with his ensemble, Icelandic post-rock band Laxá with the Heima Kvartett, ambient artist Siegfried Jünger, and Doom Jazz ensemble The Dark Messiahs. Founded by Jez Stephen, who incepted all the projects, the label has released over 30 albums, crafting a unique sonic identity across genres.

Since 2021, These Guitars Say Sorry has released a track every week, later compiling them into albums available on all major platforms. Explore the catalog on Bandcamp: https://theseguitarssaysorry.bandcamp.com/ and support the work for as little as $1 a month on Patreon: www.patreon.com/tgss.

American composer Robert Paterson is a true New Yorker—born and bred in Buffalo, he lived in Rochester and Ithaca for over ten years, in New York City for over twenty years, and now lives in Saratoga Springs, near the Adirondacks. Paterson’s colorful music embraces a wide variety of themes, everything from goddesses and online dating to mathematics and the environment. His music is filled with emotion and fierce rhythmic energy, marked by elegance, wit, and meticulous craftsmanship. Named Composer of The Year by the Classical Recording Foundation at Carnegie Hall, Paterson is the winner of the Alfred I. DuPont Award, and his opera Three Way won the Grammy® under Best Classical Producer of the Year. His music is often a Best of the Year pick on National Public Radio. His orchestral tone poem, Dark Mountains, regularly airs on NPR’s Performance Today. Three Way premiered with Nashville Opera, then BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), and across the United States. Minnesota Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, The Oratorio Society of New York, Buffalo Philharmonic, Albany Pro Musica, Albany Symphony, Musica Sacra, Austin Symphony, Vermont Symphony, and ensembles worldwide perform his works. Paterson gives masterclasses at the Curtis Institute of Music, New York University, the Aspen Music Festival, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and more. He is the Artistic Director and house composer for Mostly Modern Projects. Robert is a lifelong vegan and advocates for animals and the environment, celebrating the natural world with ground-breaking works such as his Triple Concerto, A New Eaarth, Listen, and I Go Among Trees.

I am a sculptor of algorithmic sound. It is the art of pushing machines to produce the best of themselves — reaching toward a form of augmented humanity. Each track is conceived as a sensory and poetic experience, standing at the border between the real and the virtual, where technology becomes a vector of sensitivity.

👉 https://elasticstage.com/esreleasesf06/releases/french-touch-album

Le vinyle est prêt, pressé à la demande.
Une descente en groove dans les coulisses de la French Touch.
Boîtes à rythmes poussiéreuses, synthés analogiques et fantômes du Rex Club.
💿 Pour ceux qui ont dansé tard, et écoutent encore.
🎧 Commande ici :
👉 https://elasticstage.com/esreleasesf06/releases/french-touch-album

🇬🇧
The vinyl is ready — pressed on demand.
A groove-soaked dive into the backrooms of French Touch.
Dusty drum machines, analog synths, and the ghosts of Parisian nights.
💿 For those who danced late, and still listen.
🎧 Order here:
👉 https://elasticstage.com/esreleasesf06/releases/french-touch-album

I am the NTT. Stranded Alien is my synth rock project.

I have a side project called the NTT's Funk Odyssey. I have started posting these tunes here with the precursor label - The NTT

Foram is a Spain-based electronic music producer known for his experimental and minimalist approach to genres like techno, IDM, ambient, glitch.
His rhythms and melodic harmonies intertwine with abstract sound effects and textures to create evocative soundscapes.
Foram always strives to create an immersive experience, trying to transport his audience to an imaginary world of sounds and emotions.

https://open.spotify.com/artist/0oQ2cGBZBQ8oNyxFEBn9Dc?si=nn-pRR33QMuI677kIJT2JA

Humanus Ex Machina

Robert Paterson Composer