Turbulence.org Commission: "The Shape of Song" by Martin Wattenberg v1 (2001)

Screen-capture of Kraftwerk from http://archive.turbulence.org/works/song (OS 10.4, Internet Explorer, 800 X 600)

What does music look like? The Shape of Song is an attempt to answer this seemingly paradoxical question. The custom software in this work draws musical patterns in the form of translucent arches, allowing viewers to see - literally - the shape of any composition available on the Web. The resulting images reflect the full range of musical forms, from the deep structure of Beethoven to the crystalline beauty of Philip Glass.