Series #0 – Synth Poems – Token #6
Custom audiovisual software, NFT, and Ethereum blockchain, 2021
Private collection
Synth Poems is a series of audiovisual works by Tyler de Witt (a.k.a. 0xDEAFBEEF) inspired by early electronic music and analog synthesizers. Each work is generated entirely on-chain at the time of minting, producing unique compositions by varying the tempo, time signature, and harmonic qualities within the generative algorithm’s predefined rules.
The audio in this work is based on frequency modulation (FM) synthesis. Originally used in radio broadcasting, it was adopted in the 1960s and 1970s by electronic music pioneer Don Buchla in his modular synthesizers. The black-and-white animations on screen are direct visualizations of the audio wave forms we hear in the work. The undulating patterns simulate the readouts of an oscilloscope, an analog instrument that was used to test and graphically display electronic signals.
In this work, de Witt reveals the raw mechanics of digital sound synthesis—where every tone and shape emerges from pure computation—which are often masked by today’s slick, sophisticated computer programs.
The process of creating and registering a new digital asset, such as an NFT (non-fungible token) or cryptocurrency token, on a blockchain network. It transforms digital content into a verified, tradeable item with recorded ownership, similar to how traditional mints produce physical coins or currency.
A subfield of artificial intelligence that uses generative models trained on large data sets to create new content—text, images, music, or videos—by mimicking the underlying structures, patterns, and styles of what it was trained on. Popular commercial generative AI tools like ChatGPT, Dall-E, and Midjourney use a chatbot feature where users can prompt the AI system using natural language rather than code. These large-scale systems are trained using trillions of data points collected from the internet and are controversial for the way they appropriate (and imitate) existing intellectual property and for their energy usage and environmental impact.
A step-by-step set of instructions or rules for solving a problem or completing a task. A recipe is an algorithm, as is a computer program.