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The Impossible Music of Black MIDI

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Re: The Impossible Music of Black MIDI

#2
As a pianist I do not understand the purpose of music that is not playable by humans. In my understanding music is a communication method between human souls. A computer has no soul, likewise Black MIDI "music".

Re: The Impossible Music of Black MIDI

#3
post #2

As a pianist I do not understand the purpose of music that is not playable by humans. In my understanding music is a communication method between human souls. A computer has no soul, likewise Black MIDI "music".

Interesting take. What's your impression of Musique concrète or - possibly the furthest out - someone like Cage?

Re: The Impossible Music of Black MIDI

#4
MIDI was never intended to be playable by people. It's just a protocol, you can do whatever you want with it. So saying that this is "impossible" doesn't make any sense.

That said, this music sounds atrocious when you run it through a computer, it'd sound better if it were spread out across multiple instruments, but whatever.

Re: The Impossible Music of Black MIDI

#6
As a pianist and an electronic musician, I never have any qualms about making music I can't play.

This, however, is just ridiculous.

The thing is, it's not at all hard to write a piano piece that's unplayable. Simply add a third note group far enough above or below the existing two note groups and it will be physically impossible to play (unless someone else helps you). It doesn't need to be a grotesque fountain of millions of notes to be unplayable. This is better examined not as impossible music, but as an experiment that asks the question "how many notes can you use at the same time and still make a coherent song?"

The debate between music that's playable and music that's impossible would be better served by more realistic examples, instead of a small sub-culture.

Re: The Impossible Music of Black MIDI

#7
post #2

As a pianist I do not understand the purpose of music that is not playable by humans. In my understanding music is a communication method between human souls. A computer has no soul, likewise Black MIDI "music".

If music is communication that originates in your soul, then your hands are merely a tool for realizing that expression. Why can't music realized through other means have soul? Arguably, more complex tools allow for greater expressiveness.

Re: The Impossible Music of Black MIDI

#8
post #4

MIDI was never intended to be playable by people. It's just a protocol, you can do whatever you want with it. So saying that this is "impossible" doesn't make any sense. That said, this music sounds atrocious when you run it through a computer, it'd sound better if it were spread out across multiple instruments, but whatever.

Yes if you displayed the full orchestral score to Beethovens 5th on to a single grand stave it would look "black"

Re: The Impossible Music of Black MIDI

#9
post #2

As a pianist I do not understand the purpose of music that is not playable by humans. In my understanding music is a communication method between human souls. A computer has no soul, likewise Black MIDI "music".

Go see a Nicolas Jaar concert, or any other incredible electronic musician, and then please tell me again that electronic music has no soul.

Re: The Impossible Music of Black MIDI

#10
post #2

As a pianist I do not understand the purpose of music that is not playable by humans. In my understanding music is a communication method between human souls. A computer has no soul, likewise Black MIDI "music".

This music is "playable by humans." Their instrument is a MIDI sequencer rather than a piano or guitar. Are you claiming that only X, Y and Z physical artifacts can make real music? Do player pianos make music? Does my MP3 player output music? Maybe I'm unsophisticated, but plenty of 'music' that comes out of my MP3 player generates the kind of emotion that I think of when you say "communication between souls".
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