Brian Eno . Generative Music 1 (1996. Generated 2024/11/12)

Описание: Here is 'Generative Music 1', the very rare "obsolete" 1996 music album by the legendary Brian Eno. Also included are the three bonus tracks that were web-only in 1995 and 1996. (c)(p) Brian Eno / Opal Music.

00:00 Lysis (Tungsten) (46.27)
46:40 Platform 292 (7.44)
54:30 Komarek (3.20)
57:58 Rothko Doric (5.00)
1:03:03 NS - 9001 (5.00)
1:08:10 Methane IV (7.44)
1:16:02 Microcosmology (5.00)
1:21:11 Seed Reflector (2.26)
1:24:16 Densities III (5.00)
1:29:20 Klee 4.2 (5.00)
1:34:28 Supporting Circle (2.30)
1:36:54 Tintoretto (7.44)
1:44:43 (Bonus) Babylon Papillaris (6.40)
1:51:31 (Bonus) Organa 2 (5.00)
1:56:34 (Bonus) Methane II (7.44)
2:04:36 View Album Notes / Credits

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In the interest of musical and technological preservation, I embarked on recovering Brian Eno's "lost album", 'Generative Music 1', an extremely rare floppy-disk-only album that he released in 1996. 'GM1' is not like any other music album, especially for the time. Each 'song' is only a file that contains rules, variables, and instructions that it sends to a computer's sound card. The sound card (a SoundBlaster AWE32 or SB32, or a TDK Music card) contains what is called a wavetable synthesis chip which, put simply, is a library of sound samples that can be played back or manipulated. The GM1 album calls upon this wavetable to generate a new version of each song every time you play it. As you hear different sessions that I'm posting, you will notice that certain choices Eno made were 'fixed' while others were 'fluid'. GM1 is very dynamic, much like classical music. Expect very loud and quiet parts in each arrangement.

Eno fans are aware that this is an area of music that he has explored for a long time, releasing more recent generative albums through apps and in other forms. In 2024, fans also got to experience what may be the first generative movie, 'ENO', produced by Gary Huswit, which used a similar approach to create a unique documentary about him every time it was played. With GM1, we get to experience the first run at this idea using the technology of the time. In my view, this is a frontier of music that deserves to be remembered because it predates the generative and AI material we are confronted with today. Consider that this was achieved nearly three decades ago at the time of this writing. It's remarkable.

This is why I decided to pursue the restoration of what would otherwise be an impossible album to listen to. GM1 is obsolete. Yes, it is possible to get this working in software emulators but it wouldn't include its key ingredient, the EMU8000 synthesis chip, nor would it pass through the original digital to audio converter (DAC) and signal path. SSEYO KOAN, the generative playback software, has long ceased development (though its authors Tim & Pete Cole operate as 'Intermorphic' today).

After an exhaustive search for an original copy of GM1, I spent the time to build a full-featured early 1990s computer that just about met the album's requirements. I chose a early spec 16-bit machine route to really test the lower limits of the technology and the album's concept. Keeping it original like this enhances GM1's innovation, not to mention the authenticity and nostalgia of the early computing experience.

The final step was to find a way to capture it all. Audio was not going to be a problem but the video posed its own challenges. I eventually found a working solution to record it in an honest form. The outcome, moving it from 1992's low resolution to streaming, is about what you'd expect. The SoundBlaster cards were known to be noisy. 800x600px is low video resolution. This all comes through in the result. I find it charming and made no attempt to change anything.

Eternal thanks to Brian Eno and his creativity --

Enjoy
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System
1992 Dell 333P with factory IBM Cache Card
Intel 386DX-33
16MB RAM (4x4MB FPM)
Onboard Graphics at 800x600px
512Kb VRAM Upgrade
120MB Conner Hard Drive modified to a 512MB CF Card
Factory 3.5" Sony Floppy Drive
SoundBlaster SB32 CT3620 with 2MB RAM
CD-ROM addition utilizing the SB32 IDE Header
MidiLand DX-401 (Original MPU-401 Intelligent Mode Clone)
D-Link DE-220CT Ethernet Card
Power Supply modded with Noctua Silent Fan
DOS 6.22
Windows for Workgroups 3.11 with Network & Sharing

Capture
Video Converter: Atlona HD-500 VGA 2 HDMI Upscaler, Video Only
Video Capture Hardware: Blackmagic Intensity Pro
Video Capture Software: OBS ( no 24/96 Audio Support :/ )
Audio Interface: Neve 88M @ 24Bit/96Khz in DI mode
Audio Capture Software: Wavelab
Re-Render Software: MAGIX Vegas, SSL Buss Compressor or Chandler Zener Limiter on master to shunt a few extreme dynamics
Offline Audio Archive: FREAC - 24/96 WAV to FLAC & MP3