Recently we have seen the emergence of many generative and interactive music applications. Obviously there is quite something happening in the gaming sector and devices like the iphone contribute to this development. Now what if this is the emergence of a whole new music genre?

In the article “What the heck is RjDj” i wrote the following:

RjDj is promoting a music genre that we call “reactive”. The sound that listeners hear is produced by digital devices in the very moment it is listened to. Composers of reactive music often make heavy use of sensory input, which makes the environment of the listener part of the music that is heard. Compositions are called “Scenes”. Scenes have a different musical structure than traditional compositions and they often have no clear beginning and end. Some scenes promote active listener involvement and others promote passive listening. In any case, when listening to RjDj, take care and enjoy your mind twisting hearing sensations.

So what does RjDj do to promote reactive music?

• First of all RjDj is a platform where people can participate and contribute in many ways. Creators of RjDj scenes gather >here< and we are about to release open source software as well as an api for a RjDj website
• Second, we are trying to promote the idea of reactive and the creation of RjDj scenes through organizing “RjDj sprints“. If you are interested in hosting an RjDj sprint, please let us know, we will certainly support you.
• And third, we are not just developing the RjDj player but are also providing a distribution platform for artists to earn some money by creating RjDj scenes.

All in all, we hope this all could lead into a kickstart for reactive. Let us know if you are interested in helping, and lets discuss things also on this blogpost.

Wired Magazine Issue 17.02.2009 Playlist / What’s wired this month

Tune in and trip out with RjDj, an iPhone music app that transforms ambient noises into ear-bending soundscapes. The clattering of keyboards, the rumble of buses, even the ins and outs of your breath are multiplied, pitch-shifted, looped, and twisted on the fly into an aural mosaic. It’s like taking a leisurely walk inside Brian Eno’s brain

“If you’ve ever consumed psychedelics, the auditory effects in some of the scenes are very similar to the time-slipping, inverse cascading repeats that can be provoked by some chemicals.“ posted by Joel Johnson

“Though clearly not explicitly a game, one of my all-time favorite iPhone apps, RjDj, is celebrating its latest update – which concludes a long undertaking to bring more social elements to the app“ posted by Brandon Boyer

“RjDj Continues To Be The Most Trippy App On The iPhone (And I Love It)” posted by Jason Kincaid

“Hey, it’s mushrooms without the mushrooms!” posted by John Mahoney

How was your RjDj experience? How would you explain RjDj to someone new? What did you do to make what scenes rock?  What needs to be made better? Discovered any bugs? Don’t like it at all? You damaged your brain with RjDj? How damaged is it?

Whatever it is. Let it all out. Let us know what you think about RjDj right here on this post. comment.