How much data could you fit on four compact discs, if you really tried?
Imagine a byte, alone in the digital landscape during that first moment of transfer. Quivering, the finding of its perfect place in the prismatic atrium. A predestined fate that it welcomes, determination rigorously calculated by mathematics near-spiritual. It simmers to a state of peace. Your neglected backup computer’s optical disc drive — one of the last in existence — awaits it warmly.
With all that in mind, Lil Data is set to release a 4-disc anthology titled Folder Dot Zip, featuring “live coded” music created using the programming language TidalCycles. Disc 1 contains music from 2016’s Lil Tape; discs 2 and 3 contain music crafted in 2013-2017 and previously discharged through PC Music’s Month of Mayhem series; disc 4 contains new shit, including a collage about inventor/early-computer pioneer Doug Engelbart, an MC BOING remix, and new single “Burnnn,” whose video you can see below. From Lil Data:
“Burnnn” is a live take of a piece of code I wrote on the road playing shows in early summer 2018. The main element is circling shakers and toms pitch shifted to extremes by a barely-repeating geometric function, backed by a noisy cymbal and a bouncy bass that unexpectedly turns into a stereo hook, plus an increasingly twisted vocal riff, which were added up very quickly to channel a manic energy I was feeling at the time.
Folder Dot Zip is out February 15 via PC Music. There is a limited-edition USB version loaded with exclusive content, the source code for TidalCycles, and more, which you can pre-order at PC Music’s merch store. T-shirts too!
Folder Dot Zip tracklisting:
01. A1 Tork
02. B2 >#]1))*]}%62><&!*3%)
03. A2 Yoh Sme Sno
04. B1 LHcLctLoChKTHVxZzTDk
05. B3 JuyxVoxysfJbprwuVDMv
06. A3 Supablievin
07. Casey Asked Me Am I Angry
08. A Snake
09. Xerox Dentist
10. _#]1))_]}%62__&!_3%) II
11. Poleten
12. Extranced
13. Ta
14. Summertime
15. Temple (TidalCycles Edit)
16. Manchester (Live @ QMUL 2017-05-24)
17. Goodbyes
18. Data
19. Computers
20. Maow
21. BOING
22. Hickory
23. Burnnn
24. Waterfight