I don't know if they play any Kraftwerk covers
August 7, 2011 2:07 AM Subscribe
The Radioactive Orchestra consists of 3175 radioactive isotopes. You can listen and make music with most of them.
"I don't know if anybody else has made music out of gamma cascades."
Shiiiiiiiit, that's nuthin'! I use a diddley bow!
But, really, I gotta say, humans can take any naturally occurring phenomena, and assign a series of notes to that, and what do you get? You get a series of notes that the musician decided on. Some scale or other. And rhythm? Hey, whatever beat you wanna put under it! In this case, an altogether generic Eurodisco (or, hey whatever you wanna call it) beat that could be heard in any number of Swedish car commercials or...
Anyway, yeah, this kind of thing is big on concept (or at least big on letting you know about the concept) and not so big on... music. That's my two cents.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:04 AM on August 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Shiiiiiiiit, that's nuthin'! I use a diddley bow!
But, really, I gotta say, humans can take any naturally occurring phenomena, and assign a series of notes to that, and what do you get? You get a series of notes that the musician decided on. Some scale or other. And rhythm? Hey, whatever beat you wanna put under it! In this case, an altogether generic Eurodisco (or, hey whatever you wanna call it) beat that could be heard in any number of Swedish car commercials or...
Anyway, yeah, this kind of thing is big on concept (or at least big on letting you know about the concept) and not so big on... music. That's my two cents.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 3:04 AM on August 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Excellent posting! I wonder what unobtainium sounds like...
posted by Renoroc at 4:34 AM on August 7, 2011
posted by Renoroc at 4:34 AM on August 7, 2011
Washed my hair, now my hair is gone. . .
with isotope soap, isotope soap.
posted by isopraxis at 4:54 AM on August 7, 2011
with isotope soap, isotope soap.
posted by isopraxis at 4:54 AM on August 7, 2011
so this proton walked into a bar...
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 7:32 AM on August 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 7:32 AM on August 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Playing 90Sr and 137Cs, with the tempo of strontium doubled, is surprisingly pleasing and relevant.
posted by eriko at 7:40 AM on August 7, 2011
posted by eriko at 7:40 AM on August 7, 2011
so this proton walked into a bar...
So, this photon walks into a bar and waves....
posted by eriko at 7:41 AM on August 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
So, this photon walks into a bar and waves....
posted by eriko at 7:41 AM on August 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
so this proton walks into a bar and orders a beer. The bartender says, "You sure?" The proton says, "I'm positive!"
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 7:47 AM on August 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 7:47 AM on August 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
(but yours is much better)
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 7:48 AM on August 7, 2011
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 7:48 AM on August 7, 2011
so this proton walks into a bar
bartender says "why the long face"
proton says "I'm not a horse you idiot, I'm a proton!"
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:03 AM on August 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
bartender says "why the long face"
proton says "I'm not a horse you idiot, I'm a proton!"
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:03 AM on August 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Two hydrogen atoms are walking down the street.
One says "Shit I just lost an electron."
The second replies "Are you positive?"
posted by multivalent at 9:01 AM on August 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
One says "Shit I just lost an electron."
The second replies "Are you positive?"
posted by multivalent at 9:01 AM on August 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Q: What's the difference between Max Factor and Quantum Theorist?
A: Max Factor has models that work.
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 9:49 AM on August 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
A: Max Factor has models that work.
posted by the_very_hungry_caterpillar at 9:49 AM on August 7, 2011 [3 favorites]
Of course this is far from new and hardly innovative.
Whipping up a Max/MSP patch that maps numbers to members of a diatonic scale and pasting it onto a grid of eighth notes is about least creative outcome possible. Not to say that material like this couldn't be handled in an interesting/engaging way by an expert composer/theorist/musician who understands the possibilities...
Too bad.
posted by Dr. Fetish at 1:18 PM on August 7, 2011
Whipping up a Max/MSP patch that maps numbers to members of a diatonic scale and pasting it onto a grid of eighth notes is about least creative outcome possible. Not to say that material like this couldn't be handled in an interesting/engaging way by an expert composer/theorist/musician who understands the possibilities...
Too bad.
posted by Dr. Fetish at 1:18 PM on August 7, 2011
Whipping up a Max/MSP patch that maps numbers to members of a diatonic scale and pasting it onto a grid of eighth notes is about least creative outcome possible. Not to say that material like this couldn't be handled in an interesting/engaging way by an expert composer/theorist/musician who understands the possibilities...
Well sure, but replace the random numbers with a fish tank and swap in a group of musicians starring intently at said fish tank for Max/MSP, and you get 1962's Tropical Fish Opera, a composition "for four musicians and fish tank." Now that was a pretty awesome idea, especially for '62.
Incidentally, it's surprisingly hard to google for said piece when all you can remember is "musicians" and "fish tank."
posted by zachlipton at 2:23 PM on August 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Well sure, but replace the random numbers with a fish tank and swap in a group of musicians starring intently at said fish tank for Max/MSP, and you get 1962's Tropical Fish Opera, a composition "for four musicians and fish tank." Now that was a pretty awesome idea, especially for '62.
Incidentally, it's surprisingly hard to google for said piece when all you can remember is "musicians" and "fish tank."
posted by zachlipton at 2:23 PM on August 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
A neutron walks into a bar and orders a gin and tonic. The bartender gives him the drink, and the neutron takes out his wallet and asks, "How much?"
"For you," the bartender says, "no charge."
posted by Mister Moofoo at 2:34 PM on August 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
"For you," the bartender says, "no charge."
posted by Mister Moofoo at 2:34 PM on August 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Well sure, but replace the random numbers with a fish tank and swap in a group of musicians starring intently at said fish tank for Max/MSP, and you get 1962's Tropical Fish Opera, a composition "for four musicians and fish tank." Now that was a pretty awesome idea, especially for '62.
I would comment further, but I committed suicide somewhere between the program announcer and the pianissimo side of the fish tank.
posted by Dr. Fetish at 4:58 PM on August 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I would comment further, but I committed suicide somewhere between the program announcer and the pianissimo side of the fish tank.
posted by Dr. Fetish at 4:58 PM on August 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Ahh wow, that was absolutely wonderful - I would be interested to find out more about which isotope correlates to which sound.
Great post, thanks for sharing!
posted by Bron-Y-Aur at 7:40 PM on August 7, 2011
Great post, thanks for sharing!
posted by Bron-Y-Aur at 7:40 PM on August 7, 2011
Did you hear what happened to the proton when he left the bar and ran into a bunch of electrons?
He was lepton.
posted by eriko at 6:04 AM on August 8, 2011
He was lepton.
posted by eriko at 6:04 AM on August 8, 2011
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posted by -harlequin- at 2:52 AM on August 7, 2011