This article aims to bring to light the links between technology and aesthetics in the first electroacoustic pieces written between 1953 and 1966 by Karlheinz Stockhausen. After reviewing the technological differences of the two aesthetics of musique concrète (France) and elektronische Musik (Germany), it is possible to see how Stockhausen transcended this distinction by gradually creating more diversified material, leading to a ‘world material’, independent from the tools used. This comes along with a more global approach to the sound. The composer, by an appropriate use of the equipment, does not seek an individual control of each element or each parameter, but has a larger-scale view, in which time units are longer and are considered as a whole. This conception, while remaining as precise as an analytical approach, involves a rethinking of the time development, proposed by Stockhausen as the Momentform, a new musical form in which each part is independent and does not constitute the continuation of the preceding one. This reflection on non-linearity in a work, and on relative perception of time, is a key to understanding Stockhausen's music.

The legacy of Stockhausen's role in developing the art and practice of electroacoustic music is significant, in terms of both the repertory of works he produced for the medium from the early 1950s right up to his death in 2007, and also the supporting documentation he has provided in terms of scores and technical records and his many writings on the medium over the years. What emerges from this documentation is a fascinating and at times significant insight into his compositional methods and underlying aesthetic, itself shaped and influenced by the changing nature of the technology itself. Whereas his earlier works have been subject to close scrutiny in this context far less attention has been paid to those composed in more recent years, involving the use of digital technologies. A key consideration in this context is the distinctive and highly individual nature of his approach to the resources at his disposal, in turn driven by aesthetic considerations which of necessity become embedded in the practicalities of realisation. Thus the study of the changing nature of his techné as new tools became available becomes a crucial consideration. This article examines these issues in the context of Octophonie (1991) and with particular reference to the concepts and practicalities addressed in his use of three-dimensional spatialisation.

How does production and spatial environment shape the aesthetics of electroacoustic music? Can the physical space, technology and network of relationships associated with studio activities environment be deeply embedded in the actual composition itself? Using my 12-channel electronic piece Migration as an example, this article demonstrates how the ‘materiality’ of the former Studio für Elektronische Musik of the WDR Radio, Cologne, Germany influenced the conception of ‘circular sound space’. Space in electroacoustic music is considered as embodiment of gestural experience driven by performance and composition. The discussion gives insights into the development of circular approaches of sound space in relationship to analogue and digital machinery. Particular attention is paid to the correlation between sound synthesis and sound space as a structuring principle of multi-channel electroacoustic music composition.

This paper addresses questions regarding the performance of interactive music compositions through an examination of the author's own works. The questions emerge from the compositional impetus and the subsequent technical design of each of the works. The paper also examines some of the forces impacting the performance, preservation and long-term viability of interactive works and non-interactive electroacoustic compositions.

A composer who has worked in the field of computer music for the last 25 years reflects on how technological developments during that time have affected his work in computer music, instrumental music and hybrid combinations of the two. The compositional trajectories traced here often run parallel to opportunities afforded by the evolution of computer technology suitable for the generation of digital audio.

Computers contain layers of abstraction between the raw audio bits and the user experience; each layer requires a method of traversal that reflects the attitudes of the programmer/composer/performer. The navigation of this hierarchy results in modes of thought that affect notions of how musical signifiers can be subverted and redefined. This explosion of individualistic technological systems defines meaning for new sonic results, devoid of traditional communicative signs; the manipulations within these systems directly assail the traditional signification of artistic value and of institutional canonisation. A few pieces and scenarios are presented as examples. Additionally presented are two opposing tendencies (with some empirical manifestations) in the creation of live performances systems, here labelled as extensional and algorithmic. The article posits that a performance system cannot amplify human expression without necessarily having either predefined processes or predefined limitations, and that the choice in this design is reflected in the composer's attitude towards layer-traversal.

Four compositions for cello and string quartet on tape by American intermedia artist Phill Niblock originating from 1974 to 2003 are discussed. The interdependence of compositional approach and available technology is considered, leading to the observation that the electronic music composer's technique is considerably independent of the available technology. Where a dependence of artistic development on factors not originally musical has to be acknowledged, these nonmusical factors lie not so much in the technology but in Niblock's interpretation of it. This is discussed within the context of philosophical observations on art and technology by Theodor W. Adorno, Martin Heidegger and Ernst Cassirer.

Composers have spent more than fifty years devising computer programs for the semi-automated production of music. This article shall focus in particular on the case of minimal run-time human intervention, where a program allows the creation of a musical variation, typically unravelling in realtime, on demand. These systems have the capacity to vary their output with each run, often from no more input information than the seeding of a random number generator with the start time. Such artworks are accumulating, released online as downloads, or exhibited through streaming radio sites such as rand()%. Listener/users and composer/designers may wish for deeper insight into these programs' ontological status, mechanisms and creative potential. These works are challenging to dissect; this article makes a tentative start at confronting the unique problems and rich behaviours of computer-program-based generative music, from the social and historical context to the backwards engineering of programs in relation to their sound world. After a discussion of exemplars and definitions of generative art, strategies for analysis are outlined. To provide practical examples, analyses are provided of two small scale works by James McCartney.

One main issue in the field of algorithmic composition is the relationship between the algorithm and the final musical structure. This article investigates that relationship further and presents a method of algorithmic thinking in which the musical form is the starting point. Kimon, an object-oriented programming environment for computer-aided composition in which one creates abstractions of musical form, will be introduced. The aim is to take algorithmic composition closer to the musical output in order to work systematically with form and dramaturgy. An electroacoustic piece that has been conceived and generated in its entirety by the system will also be presented.

The HIEMPA project combined a team of people with technical, artistic, environmental and cultural expertise towards an artistic outcome aiming to extend the New Zealand sonic art tradition. The work involved collecting audio samples from the aquascape of the Ruakuri Caves and Nature Reserve in Waitomo, South Waikato, New Zealand; and samples of a variety of pütorino – a New Zealand Mäori wind instrument. Following a machine learning analysis of this audio material and an analysis of the performance material, hybrid digital instruments were built and mapped to suitable hardware triggers. The new instruments are playable in realtime, along with the electroacoustic manipulation of pütorino performances. The project takes into account the environmental and cultural significance of the source material, with the results to be released as a set of compositions. This paper discusses the background research and process of the project.

This DVD contains both audio and video files. The DVD will play audio and audiovisual tracks either on a standard DVD player or on your computer. Full information related to this DVD can be found in the relevant articles.