Despite the hype surrounding it, electronic music is exceedingly limited. It is true that making music with computers enables electronic artists to theoretically create any sound possible - and there are heaps of really cool sounds being made. At the same time, it has always been difficult to organise and reorganise these sounds (compose) - continuously in realtime - in a way that sounds the way you want it to.  To be able to transform a musical phrase in any imagined way immediately is the ultimate aim of LEMu.

Obviously, this won't happen unless it is possible to interface one's mind with the comuter... However, until then LEMu will attempt to make it so that you can easily have a spontaneous and meaningful electronic music jam that leaves you on the same kind of high as experienced during traditional jamming and without losing any funkiness in the music.

If you can think of any ideas that would aid this cause, please contact me!

Areas of work:

analysis of the improvisation processs

  analysis of music to define the aesthetics and mechanics of compositional processes

creating user-friendly software with algorithms that can accurately perform the various compositional processes in realtime

developing a suitable physical musical interface to the computer

playing live electronic music

Exploring new techniques and technologies to more easily enable collaborative and participatory electronic music improvisation is another emerging area of the LEMu project. This has partially come about from attempting to perform with LEMu by myself and becoming overwhelmed by the level of human input necessary to play anything that isn't minimal.

LEMu Software

LEMu is a software application written in JAVA using jMusic and MidiShare. Designed and implemented by electronic musicians, it aims to assist in both the production and performance of electronic music.

LEMu operates in realtime, is loop based and uses MIDI. It could be thought of as a "realtime" MIDI sequencer, as it triggers an external synthesiser to generate sounds.

Most of the functionality in LEMu is an extension of two main concepts: automatic pattern generation and realtime pattern manipulation. Generative algorithms create patterns that are looped.

Once a pattern has been created, it can be manipulated in many different ways by functions that operate in realtime. The tonality of the phase can be set using a wide range of unique modes. The pitch range can be expanded or limited using a slider.  Other functions include rate of play, capture/repeat, phase offset, transposition, volume and velocity.

All slider functions can be automated and automation can be drawn graphically and recorded. LEMu can record a session and save it as a MIDI file. The patterns and automations can also be saved and restored. LEMu can recieve MIDI messages to control any parameter. For more information, don't hesitate to email or check out the feature guide.

LEMu was initially created by alledgedly funky students in the New Media strand of Music in Creative Industries, QUT. Under the supervision of their lecturer Andrew Brown, graduates Rene Wooller and Nick Coleman developed LEMu using jMusic. Since then (2001), Nick has moved back to Melbourne to pursue a very active music producing/DJing career, and Rene has stayed in Bris' following up the degree with a Masters and now a PhD Scholarship.