Music for Arcade Machines
A little suite in 3 movements for arcade game sound chips. Composed in 2016.
Music for Arcade Machines is a chamber suite in three movements. The suite makes overt reference to the chamber suites of the Baroque era in its form and contrapuntal textures. Unlike a conventional chamber suite, however, the music is performed not by a group of human musicians but five arcade game machines of the kind found in amusement arcades and fairgrounds throughout the 1980s.
The game machines’ sound chips are controlled by a computer sequencer. The audio signal from each machine’s audio output is also passed through a digital delay line, introducing repetitions/echoes and adding more rhythmic interplay.
A video realisation where the audio signals are also passed through oscilloscopes is on YouTube here.