[microsound] re: sine waves and white noise

[taylor deupree <taylor@xxxxxxx>]

> 1) why are there so many artists/composers/music makers using only sine
> waves and white noise to make compositions?

my answers are my own, too.. for me it is because these are 2 very 
basic building blocks of sound. the sinewave is the fundamental basis 
for all sounds.. so you are working with a very very very stripped 
down and simple form. as a polar oppoiste, white noise contains ALL 
frequencies.. so it makes a nice counterpoint to the sinewave.

when working with such building blocks you free yourself from a lot 
of preconceived notions about sounds, sources, and other connotations.

> 2) why do such artists/composers/music makers and their works often receive
> higher praise then if the works were conceived by other means?

do you mean artists who use sinewaves and white noise? i don't think 
this is true at all. in fact, i, personally, am quite tired of music 
that is all sinewaves and white noise. it was very much the norm in 
the early days of microsound but i don't think such compositions hold 
up as well these days. not to mention there have been a few artists 
who have truely mastered such forms (ikeda comes to mind) and have 
really had their own names applied to these sounds as references.

i'm very happy to see the microsound palette moving away from 
sinewaves and noise.. it's been very refreshing.

and, "higher praise"? i more often see "oh no, not another sinewave cd.."...


- taylor


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