TidalCycles (also known as Tidal) is a
live coding
Live coding, sometimes referred to as on-the-fly programming,Wang G. & Cook P. (2004"On-the-fly Programming: Using Code as an Expressive Musical Instrument" In ''Proceedings of the 2004 International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expr ...
environment which is designed for improvising and composing music. Technically, it is a
domain-specific language embedded in the
functional programming language
A programming language is a system of notation for writing computer programs.
Programming languages are described in terms of their Syntax (programming languages), syntax (form) and semantics (computer science), semantics (meaning), usually def ...
Haskell, and is focused on the generating and manipulating audiovisual patterns.
It was originally designed for heavily percussive and polyrhythmic grid-based music, but it now uses a flexible and functional reactive representation for patterns, by using rational time. Therefore, Tidal may be applied to a wide range of musical styles, although its cyclic approach to time means that it affords use in repetitive styles such as
algorave.
Background
TidalCycles was created by
Alex McLean
Alex McLean (born 1975) is a British musician and researcher. He is notable for his key role in developing live coding as a musical practice,
including for creating TidalCycles, a live-coding environment that allows programmer musicians ...
who also coined the term
algorave, and is a
domain-specific language embedded in
Haskell, which focuses on generating and manipulating audiovisual patterns.
Tidal's representation of rhythm is based on metrical cycles, which is inspired by Indian classical music, supporting polyrhythmic and polymetric structures using a flexible, functional reactive representation for patterns, and rational time. This programme doesn't produce sound itself, but via the
SuperCollider sound environment through the SuperDirt framework, via
MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface (; MIDI) is an American-Japanese technical standard that describes a communication protocol, digital interface, and electrical connectors that connect a wide variety of electronic musical instruments, ...
, or
Open Sound Control.
Tidal is also used widely in academic research, including representation in music AI, as a language in network music, and in
electronic literature
Electronic literature or digital literature is a genre of literature where digital capabilities such as interactivity, multimodality or Generative literature, algorithmic text generation are used aesthetically. Works of electronic literature ar ...
.
Tidal is widely used at algorave algorithmic dance music events, and on high profile music releases.
It has been featured on
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...
's New Music Show.
Since January 2022, an official port of Tidal's pattern engine has developed into the web-based live coding environmen
Strudel created by Felix Roos and Alex McLean.
Artists using it
*
Richard Devine
*
Beatrice Dillon
* Lil Data
* digital selves
*MIRI KAT
*Daniel M Karlsson
*
65daysofstatic
*
Benjamin Wynn
*Hsien-Yu Cheng
References
External links
Official website*
{{Haskell programming
Digital art
Computer programming
Live coding
Algorave
Functional programming
Music technology
2009 establishments