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Compositions

Study for Celebrity Voices (August 2024) Five celebrity AI voice models render an extended vocal, with unison and canonic effects [LINK].

Xeno music 1 (October 2023) A generative system exploring alternative music theoretical ideas from an imagined alien perspective [short album of music examples] [SuperCollider source code on github]

Pitch Drift (March 2023) Microtonal system for improvising keyboardist where tunings deviate over time [album] [SuperCollider source code]

Click Nilson's Con-ceptual (2021-2023) Text pieces [HTML]

Round for N pianists over X pianos (March 2022) Instruction score for a process piece [PDF] Premiere Durham University All Steinway Event, 27th April 2022, for N=51, X=28

3D scores (September 2020) generative 360 video scores [3D score 4] [3D score 3] [3D score 2] [3D score 1]

icosation (June 2020) Sick Lincoln album [LINK]

8 (March 2020) Eight channel or stereo eight minute generative composition based on Octonion signal processing. Example render (stereo headphone with 8 virtual sources) [8.mp3 (8m0s)]. Source code for the piece including Octonion DSP class [SuperCollider code]

The Weight of History (March 2020) More and more historic electronic music piles on top of the poor performer until they are drowned out entirely (for live instrumentalist/laptopist vs generative machine)

Riemanntronix (March 2020) The Riemann hyperpopthesis is explored via live coding and sonification [musical example (external SoundCloud link)]. See also the paper [PDF]

Click Nilson's Moanarchy (June 2019) Text pieces for Royal Laptop Squad [PDF]

A (April 2019) Web audio browser piece auditioning an eight octave argument over the appropriate frequency for a concert A [HTML]

Click Nilson's Not Yet Happening (April 2019) Live coded text piece happening [PDF]

Preposterous (April 2019) 11 miniatures for piano: 1. Prepreprelude - 2. Preprelude - 3. Prelude - 4. Postprelude - 5. Interlude - 6. Interinterlude - 7. Interlude - 8. Prepostlude - 9. Postlude - 10. Postpostlude - 11. Postpostpostlude [PDF]

Cheers Mid Ears (Dec 2018) A happy microtonal piece demoing the [Derailer] physical modelling synth [mp3 (2m35s)]

Processive Clock (Nov 2018) Sick Lincoln album [LINK]

livedog, inc. (Feb 2018) live coding structured improv performance video album [youtube playlist]

Genre Fiction (Jan 2018) Sick Lincoln album [LINK] (probably some kind of experimental mathfolk r'n'd)

Tempo Duet 2 (Dec 2017) This work, for two keyboardists sharing one instrument or on two, is driven by an animated score generated afresh each performance. The two players have opposing tempi, indicated graphically on screen for them to follow; as the piece proceeds, there is potential for more bitonal clashes to come into play against the diatonic default. Dynamic score in a web browser (javascript, HTML5) [LINK]

NOtated (Dec 2017) Collected graphical scores from gloriously failed algorithmic composition experiments [PDF]

Piano Sonata no.10 (July 2017)

Ed SheerAI vs XenAkIs vs AIdele (April 2017). For flute, clarinet, violin and piano. Premiere at St Dunstan and All Saints, London, May 23rd, performed by Ensemble x.y LINK

! (August 2016) Graphical score dedicated to John Snijders [PDF]

Sim Phony No. 2 (Feb-August 2016) Impossible (for humans) to play virtual orchestral work with microtonal twists; in four movements, exploring simulated, hyperspeed, often microtonal, orchestral music. Per movement MP3s: [First (7m33s)] [Second (5m10s)] [Third (3m59s)] [Fourth (8m07s)]

Solo for Music Stand (Feb 2016) [score] [musical example (external SoundCloud link)]

Click Nilson's Collected Rewritings (Feb 2016) Contains many text pieces and musical satire [PDF (20 MB)]

Algorithmic Study (July 2015) for piano, harmonic model derived from a corpus analysis of hit musicals [PDF of score]

A History of Electronic Music (June 2015) An algorithmically composed electroacoustic work which arranges slices of 1000 historic electronic music pieces from 1950 to 1999 within fifty second or one second blasts (from the past)

Piano Sonata no.9 (May 2015)

Sheffield algoravethm (May 2015) generative warm-up music for an algorave

BioCombat (co-created with Adinda van 't Klooster) (March 2015) dual participant affective game piece, using physiological sensors and double projection alongside electroacoustic sound evoking eight emotion classes. More information

Karlsravethm (Jan 2015) Generative electronica program premiered in Newcastle algorave independent of me, March 14th 2015

Pitch Deviations (August 2014) Album of generative and improvised microtonal music [HTML]

Piano Sonata no.8 (August 2014)

In A State (co-created with Adinda van 't Klooster) (July 2014) Piano and computer emotional agent, with double projection visualising human and computer emotional state. Premiere, NIME2014, London, July 3rd 2014

Thema (theme without variations) (June 2013) Adapted from the 1996 variations for orchestra. For University of Sussex Symphony Orchestra, performed twice June 14th

Type a Personality (May 2013, revised 2015) Piano and live coder, for Anne Veinberg. Video of premiere (youtube) ICLC 2015, Leeds

Algoravethm 11311 (April 2013) Generative electronica program premiered in Sydney Musical metacreation weekend on June 15th 2013 [SuperCollider CODE]

Supersonic Aortae (April 2013) Electroacoustic tape piece, in five movements. Autocousmatic + 15 human edits [LINK]

Chasing Visuals, for string instrument (Feb 2013) Dynamic score in a web browser (javascript, HTML5) [LINK]

Code Songs (Feb 2013) Seven songs which set computer programs for soprano and piano [HTML]

Click Nilson's For BEER (February 2013) Text scores for laptop ensemble [HTML]

Sim Phony (Jan 2013)

Onto Panic Core (Feb 2009 - Jan 2013) Piano + computer concerto. First movement premiere March 13th 2009 at the Mumford Theatre, Cambridge, third movement, Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe November 15th 2012

Click Nilson's Six Live Coding Works for Ensemble (December 2012) Musical action and intervention score [HTML]

Requiem for God (Nov 2012)

Robot Schumann (Nov 2012) For live coder and Disklaver. Premiere April 2013 live code festival, Karlsruhe

Schubot (Oct 2012) AI improvisation system biased toward Schubert, premiere at ISMIR 2012, Porto

Blues for Nancarrow (July 2012) for the EMMI musical robots (premiere 14th July, Copenhagen)

String Quartet 3 (May 2012)

FinnSystem (April 2012) AI improvisation system to duet with Finn Peters

Trimparrow and Conin (April 2012) for Trimpin's conloninpurple installation at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. MIDI files: [trimparrow][conin][SC code for generating new renders]

Trio (Jan 2012)

Piano Sonata no.7 (Jan 2012)

Three jazz lead sheets: Fidget, Jostle, Injurious (June 2011)

(2009-2011) Autocousmatic program for automatic generation of electroacoustic works, incorporating machine listening. More details: autocousmatic

Simulator Ride Sick Lincoln album on chordpunch record label

SCryptogram (Sept 2010) SuperCollider tribute piece, generative program. Premiere Sept 23rd, Ausland, Berlin [CODE]

Snap (June 2010) Chamber ensemble (vln, cello, horn, fl, cl, pn) + computer. Premiere Sept 27th, Kings Place, London

Chip Chip (April 2010) Piano + computer. Premiere May 15th, Works for machines and people, evening concert with Julio d'Escrivan for From Helmholtz to Hard Drives, Cambridge (Chopin played for Ada Lovelace on May 15th, 1848)

Suite with Interruptions (Sept 2009) Harpsichord + computer. Premiere November 28th, Dublin Sound Lab

LL (ListeningLearning) (July 2009) Drum kit + computer. Premiere Aug 6th as part of Live Algorithms for Music concert with Eddie Prevost as performer, Cafe Oto, London. Live MP3 Recording

Cryptogram for Xenia Pestova (May 2009) Piano. Premiered June 2009, Montreal, Canada. The 30-second project

Kinesics (Feb 2009) Piano + computer. Premiere March 13th at my lunchtime recital at the Mumford Theatre, ARU, Cambridge. Subsequent revised version performed at NIME 2010, Sydney

Click Nilson's Instructions (March 2008) For portable music player with headphones. Premiere Sonic Residues, Stony Brook, NY, April 29-May 12. Also at Soundwaves festival, Brighton, 17th July 2011

Violin sonata 2 Violin and piano

Flute Sonata 2 Flute and piano

Homophony String Quartet. Original sketches circa 1995, revised 2008

Infno (May-July 2007) Infinite generator of electronic dance music and synth pop. More details: infno

C₂₈ Multi-channel generative music. Premiere ICMC 2008, Belfast, August 2008

TOPLAP CD 1: A Prehistory of Live Coding. Performance with Fabrice Mogini from 2002, and live coding session as Click Nilson, August 2007

Detuner Generative music

Two interactive music systems for baroque recorder, harpsichord + computer. Premiered in the Baroqtronica concert on Mar 19th at Kettle's Yard, Cambridge. The program notes are available [PDF], with further description in my PhD thesis. The systems are:

Ornamaton sonata for recorder and harpsichord with autonomous machine agent adding embellishments [mp3]

Substituet computer-mediated concatenative synthesis duet for harpsichord versus recorder [mp3]

Three interactive improvisation systems premiered in my Machine Enhanced Improvisation concert on Feb 21st at West Road Concert Hall, Cambridge. The programme notes are available. [PDF]. They are further described in my PhD thesis. The systems are:

Sat at Sitar Sitar + computer. [mp3]

Free Improvisation Simulation Acoustic guitar + computer. [mp3]

Drum Track Drum kit + computer. [mp3] [mp3]

Mother Fuga Generative music. released Jan 2005. n-voice microtonal abstract fugue generator with infinite play mode. For SuperCollider 3. [CODE]

Gendy 303 MIDI drum pad + computer. laptop music recital, Cambridge

Decison. Generative music. Decisemitonal tempo sonata with infinite length generative development section. For SuperCollider 3. [CODE]

Canonic Hill Loss Microtonal Tempo Canon Generation System After Nancarrow/Jaffe.For more info and the associated album, see here

Guitar Suite Humanly unperformable music for virtual guitar (computer music tape piece for physical model). Rendered with assistance of Axel Nackaerts. [PDF] [1.prelude] [2.exhilaration] [3.first canon] [4.impossible consort] [5.second canon] [6.finale]

VLN Suite (Oct 2001- Jan 2002) Tape piece constructed from a gigabyte of individual violin notes, with arco and pizzicato movements. First performed at MAXIS 2003, in the sound garden for ICMC2003. [PDF] [MP3]

Concerto for Accompaniment (Nov 2001) Oboe + automatic accompaniment system. Recorded by Chris Raphael, second movement performed at LAM 2005. MP3s and MIDI files and some further info are available at Chris' site. [HTML]. View the score here: Sonata [PDF] Fugue [PDF]

Tempo Quintet Baroque ensemble

Tempo Duet Piano duet

Indian Prayer (Feb 2002) SATB Chorus and organ

Piano Sonata 6 Piano. Also made into a decisemitonal generative work called Decison, see above under 2004

Piano Sonata 5 Piano

iDAB and Pythcirc (Aug 2001) Generative music works. Released Sept 2001 as part of John Eacott's Morpheus CD project

Even if they did not hear the door in question (May 2001) Tape work for the Door Project. Algorithmically composed in such a way that I've never heard it; premiere in Cuba, Sept 2001, also at placard in London 2002. 150 people have heard this, and I never will. [The Door Project]

Cello Suite (Oct 2000 to Jan 2001) Tape piece. Premiered Sept 2001, Havana, Cuba The first large database, humanly unperformable tape music illusion. Adam Spiers was the cellist who patiently provided the database material. A Robert Rowe music jury selection for ICMC 2001 (International Computer Music Conference) [PDF] [mp3]

Song for a Girl (August 2001) Soprano + orchestra

Three jazz lead sheets (May 2001)
On the sixth day [PDF] [mp3]
Never waltzed in Vienna [PDF] [mp3]
Slow pogo stick [PDF] [mp3]

Flute Sonata (1993, 1997, 2001) Flute and piano. Revised version premiered Cambridge, autumn 2005, Magdalene College [score]

Violin Sonata (Feb 2001) Violin and piano [score]

Oboe Sonata (Sept 2000) Oboe and piano [score]

Study on Allen Forte (1973:21) (Jan 2000) Chamber ensemble. Workshopped by Britten Sinfonia and James McMillan, Chelmsford, Essex, 2000

Three Thematic Groups (Reykjavik string quartet) (April-May 1999) String quartet

Venezuela Suite (composed in Caracas April 1999) Piano. Premiere December 1999, Bosendorfer Concert Hall, Vienna. [score]

Double Violin Concerto (Spring 1998) Two violins and piano

24 Preludes (+ No. 25 Postlude ) (one per lunchtime 29/4/97 to 27/5/97, York). Piano. Premiere June 2005, Cambridge [score]

11 Toccatas (1993-2011) Piano

3 Impossible Toccatas (c2000) rendered using a sample set from a tacked player piano: [1.impossible][2.imponderable][3.inconceivable]

Variations for orchestra (Dec 1996)

Piano Sonata No. 4 (Sept 1996) Piano

Cello Sonata (20th Feb 1996) Cello and piano. Premiere in Oxford that year

Piano Sonata no 3 (1993-6 first, Oct 97 third, summer 2008 added second) Piano. Premiere York 1997 (first), Oct 2008 (second and third) [score]

11 Variations on Rachmaninov's Etudes-Tableaux Op33 No3 Piano. Premiere Oxford 1995

Performances

October 13th, 2017 Livedog, inc. Sheffield algorave

May 13th, 2017 Livedog, inc. Newcastle chemical algorave

April 28th, 2017 Livedog, inc. Leeds algorave

March 17th, 2017 The Duchess of Turing as part of five year algorave anniversary 24 hour live stream

November 18th, 2016 Sick Lincoln set at algomech algorave, Millenium Gallery, Sheffield

July 13th, 2015 Type a Personality premiere performed by Anne Veinberg at the 2015 live code conference in Leeds

July 4th, 2015: Two microtonal generative works (mef and Karlsravethm) at EUROMicroFest 2015, 7pm Konzert mit elektronischer Musik, Freiburg

Feb 27th, March 19th 2015 Live in Durham and Newcastle for affect formations concerts

Feb 20th 2015, Algorave, Huddersfield

Jan 17th 2015, evening solo piano recital, Alnmouth, Northumberland

Dec 3rd 2014, Imaginary Landscapes 2, Hamilton, Canada, as part of an extramuros network music live coding quartet

NIME 2014 In A State premiere with Adinda van 't Klooster, and also FinnSystem second performance

26th April 2014, Algorave, Newcastle

2nd July 2013 Lunchtime solo piano recital, Chapel Royal, Brighton (works by CPE Bach, early and late Scriabin, Duke Ellington, 4 toccatas (2,3,7,8 from the 11 Toccatas) by myself)

16th May 2013 Algorave, Stubnitz, London

23rd April 2013 Night of the Living Code, Salon des Amateurs, Dusseldorf

21st April 2013 Night of the Living Code, Musikclub & Cafe, Cologne

20th April 2013 Live coding disklavier concert, Hochschule für Musik, Karlsruhe

18th April 2013 Algorave, Stubnitz, London

15th November 2012 Piano and electronics recital, Hochschule für Musik, Karlsruhe

10th October 10th 2012 Schubot for piano and electronics premiered, ISMIR 2012, Porto

27th July 2012 Wrongheaded live at the Arnolfini arts centre in Bristol

14th April 2012 Live algorithms concert for SC Symposium, London: on a boat, FinnSystem premiere

26th November 2011 Audio art festival Poland, Krakow academy of music, piano and electronics concert

28th May 2011. Live algorithmic microtonal set at Art.on.Wires, Oslo

17th December 2010. Live coding in Nottingham

16th December 2010. Wrongheaded conduct an algorithmic seance. Live coding at Goldsmiths

3rd November 2010. Musical 100 Metres: Replay. Concert performance of Voice Laboratory works including my OlymiPad duet for 2 iPads (funded by Arts Council)

Sunday 3rd October 2010. Piano + electronics performance, EarZoom festival in Ljubljana, Slovenia

27th September 2010. Snap for chamber ensemble and electronics premiered, kings place, London.

23rd September 2010. SCryptogram at Ausland, Berlin (SuperCollider Symposium)

17-18th July 2010. The Musical 100 Metres (funded by Arts Council). Weekend of performances on the theme of a musical Olympics, for Jubilee Square, Brighton, as part of the soundwaves festival.

17th June 2010. Performance of 'Kinesics' for piano, electronics and live projection, at NIME in Sydney.

29th May 2010. Performance with Fredrik Olofsson in a vineyard, courtesy of Ionian University, Corfu.

15th May 2010. Joint recital with Julio d'Escrivan, 'From Helmholtz to Hard-drives', Faculty of Music, University of Cambridge.

January 14th 2010. Bloodthirsty Wrongheaded algorithmic dissection performance. Live coding event to open new digital arts centre at King's College London.

23rd November 2009. Piano + electronics recital, Birmingham Conservatoire

22nd November 2009. Wrongheaded, London Jazz Festival, in the ballroom at the Festival Hall.

30th October 2009. Wrongheaded continue their exploration of algorithmic choreography as part of TOPLAP at the Komedia in Brighton

16th October 2009. vs gig, Live at the New York Electronic Art Festival

4th October 2009 vs gig, at the Transitio_mx festival in Mexico City

20th September 2009. Immersive Vision Theatre, Plymouth, live coding a planetarium.

6th August 2009. Live Algorithms for Music concert with Eddie Prevost, Cafe Oto, London.

5th August 2009. 'Wrongheaded' live coding duo perform at pubcode event in South London covered by BBC and ABC news crews (subsequent bbc coverage)

13th March 2009. Piano+electronics recital, Mumford Theatre, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge.

August 2008. tape piece C₂₈ at ICMC.

August 2007. klipp av at ICMC

December 2006. DrumTrack played with Matthew Yee-King at a LAM concert in Goldsmiths Great Hall.

October 2006. My autonomous interactive musical machine, the Ornamaton, appeared live at the Royal College of Music on October 5th.

July 2006. klipp av toured Australia June 29th to July 19th (gigs Canberra, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide, Wollongong) and were keynote speakers at the Australasian Computer Music Conference. Many thanks to everyone who helped and hi to everyone we met on the way.

March 2006. klipp av residency at the Visby International Centre for Composers, Gotland, Sweden, and concert in Stockholm

March 2006. Baroqtronica: The Art of Machine Listening. Concert at Kettle's Yard, Cambridge, demonstrating autonomous artificial performers interacting with baroque musicians.

19th Dec 2005. klipp av live at state51 xmas party, london.

Dec 2005. klipp av performance in Munich at t-u-b-e.

Nov 2005. klipp av perform at menagerie and Sonic Arts Research Centre, Queen's University, Belfast.

Sept 2005. klipp av, placard headphones festival, state51, london

Sept 2005. Nick Collins vs Ge Wang, live coding bout at Off-ICMC, Barcelona

April-May 2005. klipp av tour Japan (gigs Tokyo*2, Osaka*2, Nagoya)

21st Feb 2005. Machine Enhanced Improvisation: concert in West Road demonstrating improvisation systems (see my doctoral thesis).

Feb 2005. Transmediale, Berlin, talk with TOPLAP and 10 laptop live coding jam for Club Transmediale in Maria am Ostbahnhof.

Nov 2004. klipp av: Ultrasound festival, Huddersfield

Aug 2004. Presentations and gigs for TOPLAP and klipp av at README, Aarhus, Denmark.

April-May 2004. klipp av tour East Coast of America (gigs New York*3, Boston, Princeton)

23rd March 2004. klipp av, overtoom301, amsterdam

March 2004. SEAMUS04, San Diego. Winning the Avant garde classic Dance/Surf remix competition in a trio with John Young and Meg Schedel.

14 Feb 2003 klipp av. Concert at betalounge, live audio programming symposium, organised by Julian Rohrhuber, Hamburg

June 2003. Fabrice Mogini and Nick Collins live coding duet at the Royal College of Art Bar, London.

April 2003. Pixelache festival, Helsinki, appearance at club Mother, Jumo Jazz Club performance with klipp av

Sept 2002. laptop gig, HMS President on the Thames.

May 2002. Invited talk at ETH Zurich on computer music, evening gig at Totalbar.

July 2001. The first of many London laptop gigs, London SuperCollider day at Public Life.

Installations

I made an installation once (September 2002), which stood in the foyer of the Royal Festival Hall in London over one long weekend. It involved a large red button, only breaching copyright if pressed. A more recent installation (July 2010) let people sing the 100 metres.