From Xenakis’s UPIC to Graphic Notation Today

UPIC, which stands for Unitû? Polyagogique Informatique: As technical as this term may seem at first, this apparatus is magical. For it is about nothing less than the translation of visuality in the form of drawings into sound and composed music. The digital wonder machine was created in the late 1970s by the composer Iannis Xenakis together with an interdisciplinary research team. Its value as a musical instrument is even surpassed by its historical role as a driving force for the development of digital music. The publication traces the resulting technical, social, institutional and educational significance. Interviews with contemporary witnesses as well as texts by scientists and artists provide a comprehensive insight with the rich visual material. Via QR-Code you can also create your own sound picture of UPIC compositions.