Fiboboogie by Allen Fogelsanger

Fiboboogie is a one-minute sound piece. Pitch material consists of bi-chords whose notes have frequencies related by one of the first five ratios of the terms of the Fibonacci sequence, i.e. 2/1, 3/2, 5/3, 8/5, 13/8. Each chord only changes one note from the previous one, but by modulation the set of possible pitches is infinite. Through this process one gets farther and farther from the starting key until the da capo. Material was generated by improvisation. There are many many cut off tones causing loads of popping.

All note onsets occur on a regular grid of 610 pulses squeezed into the 60-second piece. Percussion lines (different pitch shifts of the collision sound of a Newton’s cradle) provide an irregular meter and phrase structure. The most frequent collisions occur every 2 or 3 pulses, supported by another set every 5 or 8 pulses, a third set every 13 or 21 pulses, and one more set every 34 or 55 pulses, each set nested inside the next slowest one.

The overall effect is fun but a little unsettling.

Composed June 2011. Selected for inclusion in the 60x60 2012 New York Minutes Mix and the 60x60 2012-13 UnTwelve Mix.

Presented November 15, 2013, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL, during The Lewis University Department of Music Presents Big Apple Bytes, a showing of the 60x60 (2012) New York Minutes Mix.

Presented January 29, 2014, The New School, New York, NY, during the opening reception of Earlids, as part of a performance of the 60x60 (2012) New York Minutes Mix.

Fiboboogie is played by the mp3 player below.