Computer music is the use of computing technology in music composition, helping human composers create new music or allowing computers to create music on their own, such as with programs that use rules to make music. It includes the study and use of new and existing computer software technologies and basic aspects of music, such as sound synthesis, digital signal processing, sound design, sonic diffusion, acoustics, electrical engineering, and psychoacoustics. The field of computer music has its beginnings in the early days of electronic music and the first experiments and innovations with electronic instruments at the start of the 20th century.
Acousmatic music is a type of electroacoustic music created specifically to be played through speakers, not performed live. It began with the tradition of musique concrète in the late 1940s. Unlike music played from written scores, acousmatic music is usually only available as fixed audio recordings.
Musique concrète (French pronunciation: [myzik kɔ̃kʁɛt]; literally, “concrete music”) is a type of music made by using recorded sounds as the main material. These sounds are often changed using special techniques, such as audio processing and tape editing, and are then arranged into a collection of sounds, similar to a collage. The sounds can come from musical instruments, human voices, nature, or be created using electronic methods.
Harsh noise is a type of noise music that began in the early 1980s. It started with the Kansai no wave movement and later Japanoise. Important artists in this style include Merzbow, Hijokaidan, Hanatarash, C.C.C.C., and Incapacitants.
Power electronics involves using electronics to control and change electric power. This helps manage how electricity is used in many devices. The first high-power electronic devices were made using mercury-arc valves.
Noise music is a type of experimental music that uses sounds typically considered unwanted as a main part of the music. This style began in the early 1900s with avant-garde music but later took ideas from industrial and electronic music. Noise music often avoids traditional music rules, such as melody, rhythm, and harmony, and challenges the idea of what sounds are considered musical.
Granular synthesis is a method used to create sounds by working with very short pieces of audio. It is similar to sampling, which involves recording and playing back sounds. However, in granular synthesis, the recorded sounds are divided into tiny parts called grains, each lasting about 1 to 100 milliseconds.
Glitch is a type of experimental electronic music that began in the 1990s. It is known for using intentional “glitches” or unusual sounds in audio recordings. These sounds come from mistakes or malfunctions in recording equipment and digital devices.
Hypnagogic pop, also called h-pop, is a style of music that mixes pop and psychedelic sounds. It reminds listeners of entertainment from the past, especially the 1980s and early 1990s. This genre began in the 2000s when young American artists used home recording equipment to create music.
Witch house, also called drag, screwgaze, and haunted house, is a small type of electronic music. It uses high-pitched keyboard sounds, thick, layered bass sounds, and drum patterns similar to those in trap music. In terms of style, it includes themes inspired by mystical or dark imagery, such as those found in gothic culture.