Ixi lang

ixi lang
Developer(s)ixi software
Operating systemMac OS X
Typelive coding, experimental music
Websitewww.ixi-software.net

Ixi lang is a programming language for live coding musical expression.[1][2] It is taught at diverse levels of musical education and used in Algorave performances.[3] Like many other live coding languages, such TidalCycles, ixi lang is a domain-specific language that embraces simplicity and constraints in design.

In 2015, ixi lang was presented at the Loop summit, organised by the music software manufacturer Ableton, where it gained critical acclaim as an alternative way of making music in the studio as well as in live performance. Mark Smith, of techno-duo Garland writes about the language: "By entering the name of a sound, drawing your own bars and typing notes with numbers, you can make simple beats and melodies almost immediately. If you memorise a few different command lines a broad range of modulations and structural changes becomes possible. Whatever simple information you entered beforehand becomes hugely pliable – and you can do all this to your own uploaded bank of samples. Given that just about anyone can get up and running with a few minutes, those who are willing to put their time into live coding software like ixi lang can reach highly intuitive and fluid levels of improvised composition".[4]

Ixi lang is used internationally, for example by members of the Quase-Linema Lab[5] collective in Brazil, Belisha Beacon, Section 9 and Deerful in the UK,[6] or by the Paris-based Sougata Bhattacharya. Ixi Lang is referenced in various live coding literature[7][8][9] and has influenced other live coding systems such as Gibber,[10][11] EarSketch,[12] WulfCode[13] and Sonic Pi.[14]

  1. ^ Magnusson, Thor (2011) ixi lang: a SuperCollider parasite for live coding. In: International Computer Music Conference, 31 July – 5 August 2011, University of Huddersfield, UK.
  2. ^ Blackwell, Alan; McLean, Alex; Noble, James; Rohrhuber, Julian (2014-01-01). Blackwell, Alan; McLean, Alex; Noble, James; Rohrhuber, Julian (eds.). "Collaboration and learning through live coding (Dagstuhl Seminar 13382)". Dagstuhl Reports. 3 (9): 130–168. doi:10.4230/DagRep.3.9.130. ISSN 2192-5283.
  3. ^ "Algorave: The live coding movement that makes next-level electronic music". Mixmag. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  4. ^ "New Frontiers of Music Technology". www.ableton.com. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  5. ^ "Alexandre Rangel : ixi lang playlist". www.youtube.com. Retrieved 2022-06-20.
  6. ^ Winston, Emma. "Tell Me I Can Fix This On My Own". deerful.bandcamp.com. Retrieved 2018-10-24.
  7. ^ Sorensen, Andrew; Swift, Ben (Spring 2014). "Livecoding's many meanings" (PDF). Computer Music Journal. 38 (1): 65–76. doi:10.1162/comj_a_00230. S2CID 24368462.
  8. ^ McLean, Alex (2014). "Making programming languages to dance to". Proceedings of the 2nd ACM SIGPLAN international workshop on Functional art, music, modeling & design - FARM '14. pp. 63–70. doi:10.1145/2633638.2633647. ISBN 9781450330398. S2CID 1190832.
  9. ^ Guzdial, Mark (2013-10-01). "Live coders challenge CS to think about expression again". Computing Education Research Blog. Retrieved 2018-09-23.
  10. ^ Gibber Credits
  11. ^ Charlie, Roberts; Joann, Kuchera-Morin (2012). "Gibber: Live Coding Audio in the Browser". International Computer Music Conference Proceedings. 2012. hdl:2027/spo.bbp2372.2012.011. ISSN 2223-3881.
  12. ^ Xambo, Anna; Freeman, Jason; Magerko, Brian; and Shah, Pratik (2016) Challenges and New Directions for Collaborative Live Coding in the Classroom in Proceedings of International Conference on Live Interfaces, University of Sussex, Brighton.
  13. ^ WulfCode
  14. ^ Blackwell, Alan & Aaron, Sam (2015) Craft Practices of Live Coding Language Design in the Proceedings of the First International Conference on Live Coding, Leeds, UK