Embodying a next-generation record medium known as the open outcome record, Futures EP is a two-track music release created by Adam Jansch which has been designed to present a different sonic outcome every time it is played.
The philosophy behind the open outcome record comes from the belief that recorded music shouldn't be shackled by the fixity of the record medium; instead, the record artist should have the power to instil a degree of variety between renditions, through processes that operate within the record during playback.
The two tracks of Futures EP are called Tapes and Futures. In Tapes the level of variance between renditions is relatively small, operating only on the vocals. The vocal parts in the verse and two choruses are made up of five subsections; each subsection has eight possible takes from which one is chosen at random each time the track is played. In all there are 35,184,372,088,832 possible outcomes with Tapes.
Futures features a wider array of variance processes, affecting not only the vocals, but also bass guitar, speech and piano parts. One particular process is notable: the selection of vocal parts for the two choruses is such that two different 'futures' are chosen from a pool of four - in the song's narrative this represents a change of mind as to a potential future to take. Futures has 1,418,633,882,621,706,240 possible outcomes.
Futures EP is currently available for the Mac platform (from http://www.adamjansch.co.uk/downloads/Futures_EP-1.0.zip - OS 10.7 and above), and should also be available for iOS soon.
Futures EP