Archive Grooves

 

Archive Grooves translates newspaper articles about music into drum machine patterns. The tool analyses the text of an article, word length, capital letters, the ratio between vowels and consonants, and generates a unique drum beat based on that analysis. Every article sounds different.

 

The tool draws on a archive of Dutch articles about programmed rhythm culture, from drum computers and breakbeats in the eighties to laptop productions in the noughties. The archive data is provided by the Koninklijke Bibliotheek (National Library of the Netherlands). Browse the archive, select an article, and hear the beat it generates.

 

 

Installation

 

1. Download and install Max9 via cycling74.com/downloads
2. Download the project files via the green button on the GitHub page (Code > Download ZIP)
3. Unzip the file and place the folder in your Max 9 folder — usually found in Documents: ~/Documents/Max 9/Packages/
4. Open the file archive-algorithmic-grooves-main.maxpat

 

 

Usage

 

Click random article to load an article. Then click ON to start the sequencer. Switch between Drum Machine (internal drums) and MIDI Out (send the pattern to a DAW such as Ableton, Logic or Reaper). Use Audio Settings to select your preferred audio output.

 

Archive Grooves was developed by Timo Hoogland and Miles Niemeijer, commissioned by the Koninklijke Bibliotheek Den Haag and the Nederlands Jazz Archief, in collaboration with Thunderboom.