The Automaton audio software tool applies the classic rules-based, artificial intelligence Game of Life to sound. It was released this past weekend by Audio Damage, and on Sunday shots of the interface served as images of the week here (disquiet.com).
On the software’s Audio Damage homepage (audiodamage.com) there are two samples, one rhythmic (MP3) and one melodic (MP3), that show how the controlled randomness of Automaton can affect music over time.
In the always active comments at createdigitalmusic.com, participants were posting the results of their initial experiments. Kent Williams (aka Chaircrusher, founder of the cornwarning.com label — based in Iowa, naturally) took Julie Andrews‘s take on “The Sound of Music” and put it through the Automaton grinder, showing how it can automate glitchy remixes (MP3, createdigitalmusic.com). And one Fall a Star (fallsastar.com) posted a multiple-instance application of Automaton on a dubby, rhythmic original material (MP3, createdigitalmusic.com).
Also, thanks go out to Disquiet.com reader Davis who pointed out an earlier, Nintendo DS hack called glitchDS that uses the Game of Life as an audio manipulator. Video evidence at youtube.com and youtube.com. More details at glitchds.com. Here’s a screenshot from one of the youtube.com videos:
