Fractal Beat is a visual, sonic, and data sequencer that produces various types of rhythms. It produces time series with variable distances between impulses to mimic the dynamics of natural processes following the ecological variability framework: stochastic, regular, fractal, and complex.

A fractal rhythm exhibits self-similarity across different scales. Just as Mandelbrot fractals have similar elements that repeat across different visual scales, the fractal rhythm also repeats across different scales of time. If you listen to such rhythm for 4 seconds, you will experience similar variability that could be observed during 40 seconds. However, the extent of this variability at a longer scale will be bigger than that of the variability at a short scale. It’s like variability repeats itself, and the longer we listen to the rhythm, the higher this variability may be.

Interestingly, most processes in nature are fractal in time scale, so Fractal Beat is an attempt to create a drum machine and a device that would sound the most “natural” possible. This project is a part of my ongoing inquiry into how life takes form through frequency—especially in relation to what we call the natural and the organic.

Apart from the fractal rhythm, Fractal Beat can be used to perform three other types of variability:

1. stochastic, which has more or less regular intervals between the beats
2. regular, which has more alternations than a standard rhythm
3. complex, which exhibits clear “states” and “trends”

Players can switch between these different modes using the Fractal Beat “decks”.

The same variability principle can also be applied to the change in melodies in order to amplify fractality through the tone of sound.

More information about the science behind can be found at Nodus Labs.

Fractal Beat is available online at www.fractalbeat.live and it works best with the Firefox browser (due to MIDI connection permissions). It can be connected to a MIDI device (e.g. Ableton, Logic Pro, GarageBand, or an external drum machine or synth), and it can send the MIDI signal out through the browser to play drums or notes, change CV gate, or send control signals to sound, light, and haptic feedback sensors.