Crossing over Leaving time and space Releasing the illusion of being Remembering I never existed Only here Only now
The Book of Xenomes
It’s been a long time coming, but the Book of Xenomes has finally been released, with a surprise foreword by composer and music theory guru Ian Ring. Here’s an excerpt:
Qid Love eschews random colonization of the pitch universe, and has instead developed a system of naming that encodes each scale’s structure in a meaningful form. Each musical scale is represented as a compact notation – a “xenome” – that functions like an acronym for the scale’s identity. Xenomes allow musicians to recognize and work with pitch-class sets intuitively, without needing to engage with the deeper mathematical calculations typically associated with set theory. The approach empowers musicians to bring the insights of xenomes directly into their practice, in a format that feels accessible and memorably simple. Notably, thinking of pitch-class sets as xenomes illuminates certain symmetries that will spice up your scalar vocabulary.
There is no expectation that the reader will already know set theory, hexadecimal notation, binary or modulo arithmetic. Qid explains each concept so clearly that both seasoned theorists and beginners alike will find the system intuitive and engaging.
Whether you’re hoping to deepen your grasp of musical set theory or are simply curious about an innovative approach to scale identification, this book offers a refreshing take. Qid Love bridges the gap between the highly theoretical world of pitch class set naming and the everyday reality of making music. A gift to musicians and theorists alike: a practical, accessible way to explore one of music’s more enigmatic subjects. - Ian Ring
I’m also thrilled that xenomes have been added to the scale reference pages on Mr. Ring’s “The Exciting Universe Of Music Theory” website, right above Forte numbers. This is a huge moment of validation for me, and I’m extremely grateful to Ian for taking the time to read my book, write a foreword, and integrate my system into the most comprehensive scale reference on the internet.
Un-Release Party
On Monday 11/11, I will be hosting a small private ritual in Seattle for only the most willing victims. Seats are very limited.
Read the Fine Text
After 11/11, all of my past Bandcamp releases are going into the Vault. If you want to purchase individual releases, take advantage of the current special price on my back catalog, or just stream for free like there’s no tomorrow, now’s the time. (By the way, for those who read all the way to the bottom, there’s a special surprise waiting if you hit this button before the next post goes up tomorrow.)
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