This Binary Universe

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This Binary Universe

Studio album by BT

Released

August 29, 2006

Length

74:19

Label

DTS Entertainment

Producer

Professional reviews

Progressive-Sounds (9/10) link

BT chronology

Emotional Technology
(2003)

This Binary Universe
(2006)

This Binary Universe is the fifth studio album by composer and electronica artist BT (Brian Transeau) released on August 29, 2006.

This work was composed and produced by BT specifically for 5.1. The CD is packaged with a DVD featuring all the compositions of the album in DTS 5.1 surround sound and features films by a collection of computer artists and animators.

The album makes extensive usage of a technique called circuit bending, often intentionally miswiring and short-circuiting keyboards, children's toys, and even Furbys to obtain interesting sequences of sounds that are processed and time-corrected, and then incorporated into the songs. Many of the beats and rhythms in the album were created by computer programs Brian Transeau developed himself to produce the effects he wanted. These programs include the Stutter Edit and the Break Tweaker.

1 Track listing
2 Reviews
3 Miscellaneous
4 Sources
5 External links

[edit] Track listing

"All That Makes Us Human Continues" – 8:15
"Dynamic Symmetry" – 11:23
"The Internal Locus" – 10:27
"1.618" – 11:34
"See You On The Other Side" – 14:23
"The Antikythera Mechanism" – 10:06
"Good Morning Kaia" – 8:11

[edit] Reviews

"But this is something else entirely. Labels such as “ambient” or “modern classical” fit for a few seconds, then the next passage in the song blows away the last, taking any attempt to classify along with it." - Stephen Fortner in Keyboard Magazine

"This Binary Universe taps into BT's classical side, with expansive arrangements and intricate, albeit minimalist, thematic development. From the opening of "All That Makes Us Human Continues," BT reveals himself as a master of Eno-esque melancholy, as simple melodies evolve through an electro-orchestral instrumental palette. Lounge jazz with solos in the key of abstract, plaintive arpeggiated guitars, electro marches, minimalist hymns, and pastoral dreamscapes drive an album that seeks out joy and redemption, but not without traveling through the dark. The last track, "Good Morning Kaia," is a paean to his newborn daughter, and the most purely anthemic track on the disc.

BT creates an immersive space that's less sonic pinball and more audio sculpture, often revealing different aspects of his music than in the stereo mix. Each song on the DVD has a unique video that includes antique robots, surreal landscape drawings, live action fantasies, and abstract designs." - John Diliberto in Amazon.com

[edit] Miscellaneous

The first track entitled "All That Makes Us Human Continues" was entirely written in Csound, taking roughly 6 months. The video is also completely coded as a way to reflect the creation of the track.
Dynamic symmetry is a natural design methodology, and mathematical proportioning system, based on natural growth patterns found in plants.
In a segment of "The Internal Locus," at one point the percussion track of the entire song is compressed down into four bars. This can be heard at the 4:31 mark and lasts until 4:45.
1.618 is the value of the Golden ratio rounded to the nearest thousandth. This is the second time BT has titled a song after a mathematical term or sequence. The first time was "Fibonacci Sequence". The video shows off examples of the golden ratio in nature and mechanisms.
Both the Golden ratio and the Fibonacci Sequence are related to Dynamic symmetry.
The image shown on the album cover uses the Golden ratio to define its dimensions.
Throughout the CD's booklet, the images for each track show (in order) the construction of a Golden rectangle.
The Antikythera Mechanism refers to the remains of an ancient analog mechanical computer, believed to be an orrery which was found in a wreck near the Greek island of Antikythera.
In early printings the outer sleeve and parts of the booklet incorrectly refer to Track 6 as "The Anhtkythera Mechanism." In the credits within the booklet, and on the DVD program itself, it is correctly spelled as The Antikythera Mechanism. This typo has since been corrected.
Kaia is the name of Transeau's daughter, and the video of the seventh song is completely dedicated to her. Transeau has also stated that Kaia was sitting in his lap throughout most of the production on the album and that the album also serves as a series of lullabies for his daughter.
The album is dedicated in loving memory of his dog Tootsie, a long time companion of Transeau.
The album will undergo some edits, transitions, and the creation of an introduction for a tentative September 2007 theatrical release by Indican Pictures.