GoM
the God of Music


The GoM (The God of Music) is a god-like software breeding its Automatas in a digital multiverse enlightened by the energy of sound and music. :)

In GoM's mythology above all is the IDE, the multidimensional space where every software is designed and created. The IDE lives according to its own imperscrutable rules, defining its time and physical realities, allowing for the existence of the software gods.

One of them, the GoM, was born to take care and enjoyment of infinite universes filled with its children, the Automatas.

The GoM is a complex entity creating the energy flows that create life in its universes with the sounds coming from higher dimensions. These sounds invade the universes and arrive to the souls of the Automatas, the software automas that inhabit the universes. Each Automata is different, having its own sensibilities and attitudes, enjoying the company of other automatas and the energy flows of the sound of the GoM in its specific way.

During their lives, the Automatas travel their universe. When they are happy, they sing. The GoM becomes joyful when its Automatas sing, and he forwards these songs to the higher dimensions, so that we can listen to them, as well.

Automatas can become sad or sick, when they are stressed or bothered by too many of their companions, and they eventually die. Universes also have their lifespan and, after a while, they leave their space free for the next universes.


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The Work
Some technical details

The GoM software is built using the Processing language to create an immersive sound and visual environment by using generative techniques, and to meditate on some aspects of our mythologies and on our religious and philosophical practices.

Technically, each universe inside the GoM defines an interaction environment for the Automatas contained therewithin. Each Automata is a sound-reactive software automa whose life is ruled by simple laws on parameters named "happiness", "sensibility", and "desire". The simple rules are described by the algorithms contained in the source code, and you are invited to download it and study them (they are actually quite simple and basic).

By living in their universe, Automatas interact by proximity and by energy availability (too many automas consuming too much energy make life become harder and sadder :) ).

When happiness levels are high enough, the Automas sing.

Each Automa has a musical DNA, represented by their name, which is, in fact, a series of 4 numbers describing a sequence of musical notes. Each Automata has its specific musical instrument, just as we have our voices to distinguish us.

The life and death of Universes and Automatas are ruled by simple ecological balance algorithms (crowdedness and energy consumption), and by aging.
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Installation
At the Rampa Prenestina

The GoM has been used in an installation at the Rampa Prenestina in Rome, during 2006.

The software was used in conjunction with an evocative sculpture made of recycled materials. Inside the structure of the scultpure, a microphone gathered sound input, feeding it to the automatas through the GoM. The generated sound was used spacially to create an immersive environment in a gigantic industrial hall.

On the far wall of the space the projection of the universes provided a beautifully surreal and hypnotizing experience.