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Frank Zappa
"Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid." - Frank Zappa
My interest in creating generated music was sparked by Frank Zappa's Jazz From Hell (JFH) album, released in 1986. This album not only showcased Zappa's exceptional compositional skills but also introduced me to computer music and his innovative use of the Synclavier music system. Despite the initial impression of a massive computer-generated construction, the Synclavier tracks on JFH were actually composed by Zappa himself. He hand-wrote most of the album's tracks 3-4 years prior to the release of JFH, directly inputting his written scores into the Synclavier to be played through its FM/additive synth engine. Zappa utilized the Synclavier as a versatile tool, serving as both a scribe and conductor, as well as a single 16-track, 64-voice/32-output synth module exclusively. No other synthesizers were used in the production of this album. The entire process, from composition to final performance, was executed on this single Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Zappa's Jazz From Hell served as my inspiration, leading me to explore the world of generating music. The journey into this creative pursuit continues to unfold.
In 1986, I did not have access to a Synclavier, nor did I possess a music system with similar specifications for another 15 years. Instead, I would be composing my score on an Apple IIe, sequencing on a MAC30se, and utilizing Roland's Sound Canvas and Yamaha's FB-01 as my synthesizers. The disparity in DAW power is quite significant. However, just as FZ transcribed his written score into his machine, I would be doing the same, albeit with code, and on much less sophisticated machines. The comparison between Frank's Synclavier system and my Apple II system, my programmed code and Frank's musical genius is striking. When developing a code to generate a musical MIDI composition, should I not consider a style or approach to interpreting the score? How does one compose like Frank Zappa if one is not Frank Zappa? How can one even conceive a code based on Zappa's stylistic approach? These are indeed challenging questions to contemplate. The continuous search for new equipment and pondering such thoughts are what musicians are made of. JFH represents a remarkable journey into electronic music composition. It is distinctly different from the European sound of the new wave and far more compositionally intricate than anything found in the progressive rock or jazz genres. The process involved long nights of contemplation, pondering equations, and how to use them musically. IF THEN ELSE routines, random procedures, and predictive percentages all played a role in the code that I manipulated to humanize and develop a style in my BASIC and PASCAL generated MIDI "text" note scores to file.
The music technology in 1988, along with the midi equipment and commercial hardware purchased, often encountered issues during midi sequence performances. Frequently, the limitations of the PC's processor or the maximum polyphony of the synth module were reached. Regardless of the amount of money invested in the gear at that time, midi performances were plagued by issues. The execution of the midi sequence resulted in an odd sound, resembling a music box with abrupt sound on/sound off transitions. The musical compositions sounded mechanical, like a typewriter, lacking fluidity. Nowadays, accessing various properties of a midi note is simple, but back then, satisfaction came from simply playing the note in key and having it end properly. Overcoming system limitations was a challenging task, especially when dealing with the number of voices and polyphony. This was the reality of running large midi compositions six years after midi became commercially available in 1986. In the midi system I developed, numerous calculations were required to generate the final midi file for performances akin to Jazz From Hell. Running the final sequence in MasterTrax multiple times was necessary to avoid midi errors. It involved constant repetition in programming, sound design, and recording to achieve a desired outcome, albeit somewhat reluctantly. Over four years, the system I created produced approximately 5 incomplete works and 4 completed to a certain extent. At times, I abandoned an idea and concluded the song with a long mixer fade out or an abrupt ending. The influence of Jazz From Hell was profound back then and continues to resonate in the current compositions I am exploring on this journal and SoundCloud.