Sonic Recursion - Sound Based Music
H. Boon · WestminsterResearch (University of Westminster) · 2020
Sonic Recursion is a form of music composition and sound design that uses feedback as an integral source of tonal variety, using modulation sources such as Low Frequency Oscillators (LFO) and admits the possibility of chance and chaos by the use of randomisation. As an approach it sits broadly within Landy's formulation of Sound Based Music. Within this area the musical unit is sound rather than the note as present in more traditional music composition settings. The video highlights how a DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) can be used as a composition/sound tool challenging its more common usage as a tool for recording, editing and mixing. A piece based on this concept, Sonic Recursion, need not have the playhead of the DAW engaged. This is quite a radical concept within music production as it potentially eradicates the temporal based nature of traditional DAW use. As a concept Sonic Recursion enables Landy's Sound Based Music to become part of the taught pedagogy for music production classes and enables students to conduct work in a familiar environment i.e. the DAW but to challenge their notions of the work that can be done ion these sorts of environments, particularly when the playhead is not engaged! In particular Perkin's work identification of what is termed 'Alien Knowledge' (1999) is of particular importance in this situation. It is 'alien' because of the conflict with the more usual DAW practice based thinking. As such Sonic Recursion makes a strong contribution to composition practice and to taught practices in the domain of DAWs.