6.10 Musical examples#
Karlheinz Stockhausen - Mantra (1970)#
A work for two pianos whose sound is transformed live by ring modulation: each piano is multiplied against a sine wave whose frequency shifts over the course of the piece, adding and subtracting sidebands so the acoustic pianos take on metallic, inharmonic colors.
John Chowning - Stria (1977)#
A landmark composition by the inventor of FM synthesis using his own FM algorithm. In Stria both the pitches and the timbres are derived from the same set of frequency ratios (built around the golden ratio), so the harmony and the FM spectra are unified by a single organizing principle.
SND - Atavism (2009)#
The duo of Mark Fell and Mat Steel build a precise electronic aesthetic out of crisp FM tones and tightly sequenced, algorithmically arranged rhythms. It is a contemporary counterpoint to Stria, showing the same synthesis technique featured in an IDM context.