The game and the dialogue: composing with devices

Abstract

This paper examines the issue of musical creation within the context of new forms of information and communication in contemporary society. The  reflection  is based  on  my  professional  experience  at  the  historic Electronic Music Studio of Radio Cologne, Germany (1990-99). The text explores  the  production  processes  of electronic  (or  electroacoustic)  music from the early analogue era to the transition into the digital age, with a focus on the role of apparatuses. The concept of “apparatus,” as proposed by Flusser, is central to understanding the new communicative complexity  of telematic  society,  which  is  driven  by  the  automation  of apparatuses  and  media.  Apparatuses  provide  a universe of  symbols  through  which  we  project  our  thoughts, emotions,  and  desires.  They  program human behavior, automate thinking, and thereby inhibit critical thought. The production methods developed at the Cologne Electronic Music Studio, based on collaboration between composers, technicians, and  artists,  are  analyzed  as  an example  of  “dialogical  creation,”  capable of fostering critical awareness of the role of apparatuses. This essay demonstrates how electronic music interacts with apparatuses in unconventional  ways  —  as  in  a  game. Such  a  game  can  subvert  the  alienating functions of apparatuses and promote dialogue, leading to the creation of new information and concepts that help society decode the programs of these apparatuses.