BITCOIN FOR MUSICIANS

TIMECHAIN

COMPOSITIONS

BLOCK TIME = TEMPO

I've been thinking a lot recently about how the timechain might sound if the contents contained within each block were translated into harmony, melody & rhythm.

There are infinite rule sets that could be applied to generate the output. For example, the average block time for any set period could be divided by x for a tempo. The addresses might then be mapped to notes with the transaction size representing note lengths. (The penultimate digit from an address might select the octave, the last digit the specific note). With a random generator applied to rule sets you could literally start at the Genesis block and touch upon every one created since for note length, timbre, tempo not to mention harmony. Imagine digital imps jumping from block to block with each landing producing a distinct sound informed by the given rules of the particular code running at the time. The first imp might be considered the 'main melody' held aloft by the invisible hands of each block with all the transactions in a single block producing their own harmony, constantly in play but only audible when that block comes into focus. Dependant on the code, the imp might jump like an excitable toddler, stamp like an angry beaver, or slide from block to block with the graceful beauty of a digital ballerina. It might then be joined by further similar characters adding harmony and playing with the musical dynamic to wonderful effect like a digitised version of the Ink Spots or the Andrew sisters running musical rings around 'Bing' Crosby leaving glorious audio rainbow tails as they leap from block to block. There might even be separate codes for the sound conversion as you move from one block to another. A twisted morphing of sounds. I always wanted to find the audio plug in that would allow a piano note to morph into a guitar note into a low cello into a gong into the sound of water but alas - the technology just isn't there. Yet. BH: 841960

Anyway, with all the above taken into consideration, it's conceivable be that a subset of composers in the future might express themselves through code. It could inspire a rich and varied type of music the likes of which we're currently unable to imagine. 

Titles might be taken from any number of news stories within the date range of the chosen blocks or instrumentation driven by assigning a sound per 100,000 sats. For example, <100,000 sats might be represented by the sound of waves whilst a transaction for between 1,000,000 to 1,100,000 might be a flugelhorn or a Bolivian nose flute. Wild cards might be set like traps across the time chain to suddenly set the following 4 blocks to a particular genre so you might go from block 927,842 relaxing to something akin to Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony to suddenly find yourself the (possibly spiritually cleansed) audience of Swedish Oompah music before launching back into a beautifully desolate soundscape caused by one of the empty 'Ghost' blocks that calls the time chain home.

Given the numbers at play, the output could be translated into a more Eastern influenced micro-harmony in the spirit of micro transactions currently supporting artists on platforms such as WavLake.

Shameless plug I'm afraid but I'll take any opportunity to expose people to Najarra's voice. Dang, that girl can sing...

I used to play with a drummer obsessed with poly rhythms "My left foot is playing in 5/9, my right hand is paradiddlin', my right foot is dancing in triplets and all whilst my left hand is rolling a cigarette in 12/8"...  He used to talk with great enthusiasm about how one of his favourite drummers (I believe it was Dave Weckl?...) accurately transcribed a fireworks display. God only knows how much fun he'd have with the Timechain...

The soundtrack might change in accordance with the changes made to the base layer over time. The music of the epochs would be akin to era's as we understand them now. Depending on who you ask, the 20's might bring to mind Flapper Girls and Gershwin whilst the 40's conjures up sounds of Big Bands and blood harmony. The future equivalent might throw together an array of new sounds and from the Bitcoin devs, the next Les Paul might emerge. Both Hard Forks and soft forks would no doubt change the output and you might end up with playlists such as 'Ordinals Greatest Hits' or 'retro' cover bands like 'SegWitney Houston'  and 'Spinal Taproot'.

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