Chaotic Particle Music Project

Is it possible to produce music from chaos? Listen to these Midi sound files (less than 50kB).

They were all generated using a computer program simulating a system of chaotically interacting particles. There does seem to be a natural rhythm emerging from the sequences.

Chaos theory is a relatively new field of mathematical research which deals with the behaviour of complex and unpredictable systems. The theory has been successfully applied in the study of many natural phenomena such as weather systems and plant growth.

Because of its affinity to natural processes, chaotic systems have produced some stunning images when displayed graphically. For example, the Mandelbrot Set is a mathematical model that produces remarkable swirling patterns and beautiful detail. For this reason, chaos theory has been utilised with great success in the visual arts.

The aim of this project is to attempt to apply chaos theory as a musical form, in the hope that the natural beauty of chaotic systems can be translated into soundscapes that will have meaning to the listener. This is a remarkable possibility and a radically new development in music.

Specification Document

August 2000

This project was a collaboration with musician Paul Holland in 1997. It is still a fresh idea. The original program was written in C++ but could do with updating to Java and made publicly available when I get time. July 2005