Here’s something playful for you — Baboon Song, a track I composed using temporal networks:

I took the Baboons’ interactions dataset from SocioPatterns, turned some baboon interaction timelines into MIDI files, chopped the files into bits, and constructed loops by feeding them into various synths in Ableton Live. I built the skeleton of the song in Ableton, added more instruments, and mixed the track in Logic Pro X (a tool I know better than Live).

The repeating rhythmic patterns are interaction timelines corresponding to a day in some baboon’s life — the pattern that starts the song is between two baboons, and the bell-like pattern that enters next is a whole temporal ego-net of another baboon. There are whispers of other ego-nets in the L and R channels… On top of the baboon sounds, I added a bit of synth bass, a few rhythmic elements, and some slightly cheesy harmony at the end of the track that I felt just had to be there, because of sunrise over the savannah or something.

Enjoy!!

PS If there is a production nerd among you who wonders — rightly so — what the beautiful, spacious reverb that everything swims in is, it’s just the default preset of Valhalla’s VintageVerb. The best reverb that there is. Rant over.

PPS Inspired by Llyr (https://open.spotify.com/album/4al4RrIK5oMUd95Gvjlyiu)