Play
Coming
09.06.2025, 20:00 - 23:00, Pentatonic Permutations XIV, Pentecost Monday, St. Elisabeth, Invalidenstrasse 4, 10115 Berlin.
13.09.2025 Pentatonic Permutations is an algorithmic piano composition by Benjamin Heidersberger. It is an innovative and artistic use of the legal time of the PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt), which is broadcast via the NTP network protocol and the DCF77 longwave transmitter.
On the Open Day on September 13, 2025, between 12 p.m. and 7 p.m., the media artist will present both the player and the browser-based version. Visitors can take the composition with them via a QR code or access it here: https://pentatonic-permutations.de. The PTB's address is Bundesallee 100, 38116 Braunschweig, Germany.
The Sotantar Yoga Shop in Berlin’s popular Helmholtz-Kiez (Schliemannstrasse 25A, 10437 Berlin) is playing Pentatonic Permutations. Open Tuesday - Friday 12 - 18:30, Saturday 12 - 17.
New
The piano sound of the realtime-version is quite improved now. Check it out.
Starting January 14, 2025, Pentatonic Permutations is offering a realtime (440 Hz) and a streaming version (432 Hz). The streaming version is some seconds delayed and tuned to A4 @ 432 Hz, lowering the 12EDO-temperament by 32 Cent.
Time travel is now possible with Pentatonic Permutations... just click the settings wheel. Also some new MIDI functions, allowing the use of your own equipment with the composition.
Pentatonic Permutations is on Roku, a TV streaming service with 80 million users globally. And a skill on Amazon Alexa.
Statistics
4/2025: 1.766 listeners from 102 countries streamed 1.694 h. 3.351 visitors on the website. More here.
Newsletter: Click here.
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Pentatonic Permutations is an algorithmic piano music composition by Benjamin Heidersberger that started with the Big Bang 13.799 billion years ago and will continue another 16 trillion years and then stop. It uses the Japanese 1-4-2-3-2 Kokin-Joshi scale, also known in India as Raga Vibhavari (Revati).
Each moment of time is tagged with a unique predetermined melody that never repeats until the last permutation is played. The composition is synchronous and realtime. Each Pentatonic Permutations Player (PPP) and each computer are playing the same part of the composition. You are listening to the same notes in this moment of time as everyone else.
Pentatonic Permutations is the "soundtrack of the universe". It creates a mental network of people listening, helping you to find the silence that was, is and will be always there, whether you hear it or not.
To tune into the composition:
- Either click on the triangular button above for realtime listening, exact to the fraction of a second.
- Or start streaming (MP3 @ 128 kbps, 44.1 kHz, CBR) live with a few seconds delay.
Tips for listening:
Check if your device is not in "Silent Mode" or the Volume is too low.
The composition has rests, i.e. no sound coming.
Try "Reload Page". Also if there a funny noises while streaming.
Check if Javascript is active.
Pentatonic Permutations can be installed as an App on Mobile devices, running in Airplane-Mode without Internet access. Load the page before going offline and don't reload the page while offline.
You can reach me at benjamin(at)ponton-lab.de
Different reverb algorithms are available, default is "Chapel" .
Echo generates a 4 sec Echo.
Delay allows for an adjustment of the composition against Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Standard is 1.1 sec (0 - 1.4). Check the precision of your device with TIME.IS.
Date lets you time travel backward and forward in the composition, selecting e.g. your own birthday. Limits are Jan 1, 1970 +- 100.000.000 days.
You can also enter a number of seconds manually (+ and -).
Reset to current time brings the composition back to now.
Reset to Big Bang lets you hear the beginning of the composition 13.799 billion years ago.
MIDI out sends out data to a selected Midi device so you can use your own equipment. None disables the output. Use an USB-OTG adapter for your mobile.
Note off after sends the MIDI command after a number of seconds (1 - 20).
Channel selects if you want all data to be sent to channel 1 or to channels 1-9, 11 and 12, separating each step of the 16 seconds sequence. The first five seconds are always silent. Channel 10 is not used.
Note: MacOS Safari and Ubuntu 22.04 do not support WebMidi. Edge, Chrome and Firefox do.
