OB6/24-TET: "Geothria" (with score)

Published on Feb 14, 2019 Kris Lennox

"One of my 24-TET pieces. I posted this a while back, but not with the score. The work is tetradecatonic (14-note scale). Each line/space on the score = one quarter tone. The note sitting below the first line = root (i.e the lines are a floating/relativistic system, as opposed to a fixed-pitch system).

If the ear isn't familiar with 24-TET, it can sound very wrong.

Personally, I love it. The harmonies are impossible to achieve within our 12-tone system. They haven't (yet) been codified to emotion (e.g 'major = happy'). This can yield an interesting experience for the listener, as the cultural harmonic associations with emotions doesn't yet exist.

Something that may be of interest: pitch perception in sensorially-deprived environments. About a decade ago I worked on some research RE the effects of sensory deprivation on pitch perception, with this leading into something called Faulty Source Monitoring. When deprived of sensory stimulation, the mind can fill in the blanks and create its own perceptions. People can, if deprived of sound, hallucinate sound. Of course, there is the problem of the placebo effect i.e if the idea is suggested to someone beforehand, they are likely to claim they imagined sound.

Where it gets interesting is: source-monitoring errors aren't always 12-tone. Where it gets really interesting is: what if we don't dream in 12-tone (or a harmonic system other than 12-tone)....

The plan over the next few weeks is to upload maybe some other 24-TET works, plus some more works illustrating polytemporality/phasing (I'll put up a video over the weekend with the E-RM Midiclock).

Best
Kris"