Noise Music, Environment and Peripheral Patterns

The development of the project Peripheral Patterns aims toward an autonomous software system for generative music, that takes as a point of departure, how sound is implicated in our experience of the everyday world in the city. This investigation began with the analysis and consideration of the contrasting soundscapes of the city and the natural settings. The analysis was found to show some correlation with the arrangement and frequencies of sounds in soundscapes and post-industrial noise music works. The above observations led me to the further analysis of soundscapes and noise music. My position on the current city soundscape is as follows: As the human is both a creature from the natural and urban environments, these contrasting vistas will create modern sonic topographies which are exhibited in noise music. Peripheral Patterns explores these convergent spaces to investigate the potential of the sound that is at the limits of human hearing. Whereas once animals occupied small spectral niches in the soundfield, a sky train can be heard passing over Commercial Drive as the constant white noise roars from the city. Conversely, there is a desire for something that resembles peace, a desire to return to an experience of natural soundscape. This thesis looks at a possible convergence of urban and natural soundscapes.