Conference Agenda

Initiated in the UK, Algorave is a performing arts scene where producers improvise music using code in front of an audience, with the process projected live on screen in the background. It is currently a focal point of activity where algorithms are explored in conjunction with live coded electronic dance music spanning a variety of styles, including techno, trance, ambient, and even classical. Following its debut in 2011, the scene quickly spread to the U.S. and beyond, attracting thousands to immerse in the transformative experience. Despite its growing popularity, the Algorave scene has sparked critical discourse, particularly regarding the necessity of computer-generated music and the authenticity of live coding in sound production. Yet, contrary to the common assumption that computer-generated music is confined to simple, repetitive loops, Algorave proves to be anything but homogenous. From pioneering new live coding languages to its diversity in community and social impacts, Algorave exemplifies the flexibility of music composition through technology and cultural interactions, applying various ways to push the boundaries of modern artistic innovation.

This poster will explore the history of Algorave, investigate the performance practice of the scene's dynamic interplay between human creativity and algorithms, unravel its cultural significance within society, and consider its future implications within the music industry. In addition to the poster and visual aids, I will provide a laptop equipped with live coding software for interactive, hands-on demonstrations. Ultimately, this poster aims to introduce the Algorave scene, emphasizing its innovative fusion of music, media, and technology while sparking conversations about the broader implications of integrating algorithms into creative practices.

The current model of western musicology is based on a Eurocentric view with a foundation in the musical score as the primary fixed medium. This model is based in ideologies and aesthetic foundations rooted in western European music. Music not created using western notation or even a western musical aesthetical tradition is therefore examined using an incompatible medium. This leaves music that is not rooted in the western classical tradition being studied in what can only be an oppressive colonial lens. By moving away from this western practice, recorded sound becomes a catalyst to liberate human identity from oppression in education and scholarship. Recording technology became common early in the twentieth century and changed the trajectory of many facets of music. Recording technology allows for the “revealing” of a truth that is more authentic from its source rather than open to interpretation in the translation to musical notation.

This presentation will demonstrate that a paradigm shift has indeed taken place and that a new paradigm and mode of scholarship needs to be employed in the world of music after recording technology became prevalent. The research is based on Kuhn’s concept of a paradigm shift; during this shift, rooted in consumerism, the recorded product itself became the primary mode of conveyance for music, which is no longer solely based on the printed score and performance. I will argue that a new paradigm needs to be employed in music scholarship when examining music that was created from the early twentieth century onward, one that includes mass market consumerism and capitalism. While consumerism was important in the former paradigm, the technological reproducibility of the product has allowed for music to be quickly shared and distributed; consequently, this new area of consumerism needs to be more dominant in the scholarly discourse.

Ennio Morricone and Ludwig Göransson both created new musical soundscapes for iterations of the Western genre, opening listeners to new musical possibilities of the sound for the genre beyond the traditional orchestral score. Both would use a blend of traditional and non-traditional instruments in their scores, paying homage to predecessors while breaking new ground. This poster will consider musical cues from the first three episodes of The Mandalorian (Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, Disney+, 2019), comparing this story arc of the series thematically and musically with excerpts of A Fistful of Dollars (Sergio Leone, 1964). To contextualize these films, I will study musical cues from silent films, focusing on certain rhythmic combinations that both composers use to ground their works with the genre of the Western using musical semiotics and a topic that I will refer to as the “Western moving horse.” I will also examine the role orchestration plays in our interpretation of the character development of both “Mando” and “The Man with No Name,” the main characters of the respective media. Earlier studies of Morricone’s music for the Dollars trilogy leave important features of his style found in A Fistful of Dollars relatively unexplored. Göransson’s score for The Mandalorian incorporates some features of Morricone’s style from the Dollars trilogy but has not received much scholarly attention. Both scores helped the genre of the Western (including the Space Western) break away from the Classic Hollywood style of scoring westerns and warrant further analysis.

J-pop singer-model Kyary Pamyu Pamyu’s music videos are celebrated for their vivid, imaginative use of color, which plays an integral role in defining Kyary’s audiovisual identity. Kyary’s visuals—characterized by surreal, vibrant, and whimsical aesthetics—are as distinctive as her music, which is known for catchy and repetitive melodies, heavy electronic production, and her unique vocal timbre that embodies kawaii culture and her Harajuku roots. Drawing upon Auslander’s (2019) concept of the musician persona with Osborn’s (2021) techniques for interpreting color in music videos, I analyze the intertextual expressions of color within her musical aesthetic, demonstrating how Kyary blurs conventional boundaries between audio and visual domains to create an artistic identity that is uniquely her own.

Focusing on her music videos for “PONPONPON,” “Fashion Monster,” “Furisodeshon,” and “Yumeno Hajima Ring Ring,” this poster illustrates how Kyary’s deliberate use of color intensifies the emotional resonance of her songs, crafting an immersive experience that goes beyond visual accompaniment. Through this lens, color emerges not merely as a visual element, but as a dynamic force that interacts with musical features to craft a cohesive artistic vision. This approach solidifies her identity as a global J-pop icon, all while inviting deeper engagement with the cultural and symbolic imagery she embodies. Ultimately, this poster situates Kyary’s music videos as innovative sites of audiovisual meaning-making, where music and color converge to challenge and expand the possibilities of artistic identity, audiovisuality, and popular music performance more broadly.

Expected graphics include annotated screenshots from Kyary’s music videos, pictures of culturally relevant visual motifs, and frames from Kyary’s live performances to illustrate how her identity extends beyond the screen. Additionally, I will share clips from her music videos on my laptop to immerse viewers in the real-time dynamic interplay between sound and color that defines Kyary’s identity.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder (Nintendo 2023), in contrast with some of Mario’s previous two-dimensional platforming adventures, directly engages its soundtrack in its gameplay through rhythmic play. One level, “Ninji Jump Party,” requires players to guide their character through platforming challenges, simultaneously jumping only on the fourth beat of the accompanying track’s implied 4/4 meter. Adding to the difficulty, players must keep a steady beat throughout this track’s four short sections, each containing a variety of rhythms, including syncopation and hemiolas. This extent of musical interactivity perhaps corresponds with how Austin (2021) describes “procedural music games,” as Wonder requires the player to directly interact with the music, specifically its rhythmic aspects, to complete this level.

Other levels also link rhythm to the gameplay, such as “Jump! Jump! Jump!” and “Climb to the Beat,” which both require players to jump to musical cues that gradually increase in tempo. An obtainable item, the “Rhythm Jump Badge,” rewards players for jumping on beat four of many levels’ soundtracks, allowing the transformation of these levels into a rhythmic experience. Drawing upon Reale’s (2014) chapter on player interaction with game soundtracks and Hart’s (2014) article on semiotics, player interpretation, and meaning in game soundtracks as a foundation, I claim users possess agency to play most of Wonder as a music game, by jumping in time with the soundtrack. Wonder’s soundtrack is an integral gameplay element which the player directly interacts with through rhythmic play—blurring the boundaries between platforming and rhythm games by fusing their mechanics.

Expected graphics include: a transcription and form diagram of “Ninji Jump Party” demonstrating how the player interacts with the track and supporting graphics displaying how the level changes visually with the music. An accompanying Nintendo Switch setup will facilitate the ability for attendees to play and experience this level.

This poster explores the role of musical gestures in conveying emotion and narrative themes in Netflix’s Bridgerton. The series, celebrated for its fusion of Regency aesthetics with modern cultural elements, utilizes a dynamic soundtrack combining classical reinterpretations of pop songs and original compositions by Kris Bowers. This analysis focuses on how specific musical elements—timbre, rhythm, dynamics, harmony, and temporal variation—enhance the audience’s emotional engagement with three key narrative themes: love, humor, and introspection.

For the theme of love and romance, examples such as Daphne Bridgerton’s performance of Beethoven’s Waldstein Sonata and the orchestral cover of "Dancing On My Own" by the Vitamin String Quartet highlight how musical motifs heighten emotional intensity and underscore the tension between closeness and distance. The romantic-era musical techniques of rubato, harmonic suspension, and dynamic swells evoke unspoken desires and societal constraints.

In the portrayal of musical humor, the score employs irony, unexpected modulations, and whimsical orchestration. The choice of Mozart’s Funeral March during Francesca Bridgerton’s preparation for a ball humorously contrasts with the festive setting, using tonal shifts to subvert audience expectations.

The theme of introspection is exemplified through Penelope Featherington’s emotional arc, underscored by a classical cover of Billie Eilish’s "Happier Than Ever." The use of swelling strings and melancholic tonalities amplifies Penelope’s vulnerability and internal conflict.

Expected visuals include annotated score excerpts (e.g., Beethoven’s Waldstein Sonata), stills from pivotal scenes (e.g., Daphne’s performance), and waveform analyses showing expressive timing. These graphics will illustrate the interplay between narrative gestures and musical expression, reinforcing how the score functions as a storytelling device that bridges historical and contemporary perspectives.

From films to social media, music and visuals work together to capture attention and immerse audiences in multimedia experiences. Psychological frameworks like flow (Csikszentmihalyi, 1980), presence (Pianzola, 2021), and absorption (Sandstrom & Russo, 2013) describe how individuals become deeply engaged with audiovisual content (Curran, 2018). While research has explored the effects of audiovisual congruence in film (Cohen, 2013), non-fiction media (Herget & Albrecht, 2021), and multimodal art (Fink et al., 2024), its impact on immersion in digital short-form content remains underexplored.

This poster presents findings from two behavioral experiments investigating how structural (timing) congruence (Kim & Iwamiya, 2008) and semantic (emotional) congruence (Ireland, 2018; Chattah, 2015) influence listener attention, immersion, and viewing behavior in short-form audiovisual media. Using linear mixed-effects modeling, results indicate that greater degrees of semantic congruence significantly increase both immersion (β = 0.053, p < 0.001) and viewing time (β = 0.022, p < 0.001).

These findings highlight how musical elements interact with audiovisual structures to direct attention and shape musical interpretations. Incorporating transcriptions and analyses of musical stimuli, this paper draws out the implications of empirical results for music analysis in multimedia contexts. This research highlights the need for theoretical approaches to account for fluctuating patterns of musical engagement.