Computer-generated music for Who album

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Pete Townshend says the next Who album will be inspired by music made by computers. The guitarist, with the help of mathematician and composer Lawrence Ball and software engineer David Snowdon, has created a computer system called 'The Method' which allows users to make unique pieces of music created by inputting personal information, sounds and a rhythm. Users will 'sit' for the software in the same way a person would pose for a portrait painting, and the compositions created will be posted on the site. Townshend plans to use the music created on the web on the next Who album as long as his bandmate Roger Daltrey gives the project the go-ahead.

Speaking at the launch of 'The Method' yesterday (25.04.07), Townshend told BANG Showbiz: "When I first had this idea John Entwistle and Keith Moon were still alive and in the band. They were very dismissive of it. "Even when I smashed my guitars up, they were like, 'Oh right, Pete's breaking guitars. We know what he means.' Whereas I was saying, 'This is autodestructive art.' "But today The Who is just me and Roger Daltrey. If I was going to work with this idea, I would want to do it full on and if Roger was into it then I don't see why we couldn't make an album." Townshend first had the idea for 'The Method' in 1971 when he wrote a futuristic film script called 'The Lifehouse' in which he prophesised about the coming of the internet, and how it would allow people to "share music, make music and call people together to celebrate".

Despite his passion for computer composed music, the rocker admits he hasn't been able to get singer Daltrey, who is a self-confessed technophobe, to try out the unique software. He explained: "He hasn't tried it out yet. I suppose he might if I led him to the computer. I think he would need to be let alone to try it out." 'The Method' launches on May 1 on www.lifehouse-method.com.