Exploring the Electroacoustic Music History Through Interactive Sonic Design

Algorithms and related technologies are widely used for many musicology-related tasks, such as music analysis or even music composition. The use of algorithms in music analysis may be crucial for a deeper understanding of music theory and history, yet experiential knowledge is proposed here as a more interactive way to take a journey through music history and, more specifically, the evolution of electroacoustic music. From acousmatic music to serialism and from Musique Concrète and Elektronische music to Post-Schaefferian Electronica, numerous techniques have been developed for sound generation and manipulation. In this chapter, SuperCollider is used as a tool to create an interactive composition and to provide a walkthrough of electroacoustic music through live coding. The musicological aspects of the different composition techniques of this music style are explored through their integration into the algorithmic composition.