Does this count as sci-fi? Or what is it?

I found this site through another sci-fi forum, and I'm wondering what other people make of it:
Beyond the Event Horizon

It's a discussion forum for people who received a cassette tape in the mail purporting to be of transmissions from a distant planet... or actually the moon of a distant planet. That site kind of assumes you know what's going on already. I found this other one, by someone who got a tape in the mail, along with the letter or story that went with it: The Ko Transmissions | Unfretted
They posted the letter, and mp3s made from the tape.
Whoever wrote the letter says its science fiction, but they also hint that they have to say that to cover their asses, so it's ambiguous.

So what I'm wondering is: what is this? Is it a story? It doesn't really have a plot. Is it just music? Where does the bulletin board part fit in? It seems like that's a big part of it, getting people to participate and do their own "research". I think it's kind of like fan fiction for something that's incomplete on purpose, so that instead of adding on to something that stands on its own, it's calling on people to co-create (no pun intended) on an equal level. Since it's anonymous, it blurs the distinction between what's "fan"-created and what's "official". I find that really interesting and think it has potential. I wonder how they would react if people started adding their own parts to the story. Or is there a "they"? Maybe it's a "we"...

Also, I'd really like to get a hold of the actual tape, instead of just hearing the mp3s online. If someone out there has it and can make a copy, please pm me. Thanks.
 
I found this site through another sci-fi forum, and I'm wondering what other people make of it:
Beyond the Event Horizon
Total posts 11 • Total topics 5 • Total members 4
Not much discussion is there?

I found this other one, by someone who got a tape in the mail, along with the letter or story that went with it: The Ko Transmissions | Unfretted
I sampled a few of the streams and I have music much like this but aimed at a fantasy element instead of science fiction.
Music composer, producer, sound designer Bjorn Lynne - Official web site
Here is one of his SciFi compilations:

Bjorn Lynne is a professional. Does music for games mostly but seems to have better resources than what I heard on the linked site Unfretted.

I did a search and this is a limited exposure meme. Aside from the two links you gave I found only one additional site which also was a music message board. It has three posts and one post was referencing Unfretted.

As for music being a meduim for Science Fiction it has been since electronic music came of age with NEW AGE music.
The Mind's Eye was my first experience with SciFi music videos. Later, I found Animusic.







You can take any subject and make it Science Fiction with a little imagination


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The Theremin is used to soundtrack many science fiction background music.
 
Giving this a bit more thought and I can relate some ambient trance from HBR1

HBR1 - Music on Futurenet

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I.D.M.Tranceponder Psychedelic,ProgressiveTrance,Full-On
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Running: [-00:45:27 Mukri - Morning Blues (2009)
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Tune In: OGG Vorbis [SSL], HE-AAC v2 [SSL], Java-Ogg, Flash-Test
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TronicLounge TechHouse,ProgressiveHouse,Electro,Minimal
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Running: [-00:07:08 Franklyn (Ekstatika) - Back 03 (2008)
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Tune In: OGG Vorbis [SSL], HE-AAC v2 [SSL], Java-Ogg, Flash-Test
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DreamFactory Ambient,Chillout,Downbeat,Trance
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Running: [-02:17:48 Micz - Road Trip to Riga (2007)
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Tune In: OGG Vorbis [SSL], HE-AAC v2 [SSL], Java-Ogg, Flash-Test


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And no mention anywhere of either "Cool Sci-Fi" or "Alien Soup" so I would tend to believe this is more an attempt at viral marketing versus an actual reference

Yup - as I thought as well, Just trying to make the topic interesting
 
Looks like it's only been up for a couple weeks. If whoever started it is doing it by sending out cassettes in the mail, I'd imagine it would take some time to get going.
The clips on unfretted are mp3s made from a cassette... I don't know that much can be inferred about the resources of the composer(s) from those, whether they're human or alien. But from the text, it looks like it's not electronic music... there are strings and horns and flutes and reeds and whatnot and not samples. And the notes aren't what you'd find played by people on Earth, whether East or West.
I'm not a huge sci-fi person, but I thought this would be a good place to have a conversation about it outside of the "official" board, which seems more like a place to participate in it instead of talk about it. Though that might be fun too.
 
there are strings and horns and flutes and reeds and whatnot and not samples. And the notes aren't what you'd find played by people on Earth, whether East or West.

Don't underestimate the technology of human musicians.

Just recently (last couple years) I learned of a Moog Guitar with endless sustain. This device can hold a note for any duration desired.
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As for the instruments, Now-a-Days there are so many samples of sounds available that any amature midi artist can loop any instrument in any method.

Speaking of sampling and looping have you ever seen Phil Keaggy play his guitar?
Amazing one man band!


There is a free demo of MixMan that lets you experiment with different preset loops.
Mixman.com
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Noteworthy Composer is a high end Music Notation software that allows you to create musical compositions. It comes loaded with an orchestra of preset instruments and allows for samples and loops.

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NoteWorthy Composer

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The concept of creating a rich science fiction universe based on music is appealing.
 
Oh, I'm not saying that it couldn't be done with sampling or looping, only that, according to the text that goes with it, it wasn't. Also the notes (meaning the pitches) aren't what you'd find in Classical, Pop or Indian or Chinese music, for that matter. By any Earth standards I'm aware of, it's out of tune. But it's consistent within itself, which implies intentionality.
 
And no mention anywhere of either "Cool Sci-Fi" or "Alien Soup" so I would tend to believe this is more an attempt at viral marketing versus an actual reference. ;)

If this is an attempt at viral marketing, I don't think they're very good at it. Sending out anonymous cassette tapes doesn't seem a very efficient way to do anything. And at least so far there doesn't seem to be any attempt to sell anything, and there's no advertising on those sites.

I'm not a huge sci-fi fan, but I do like things I think are quality. I've read all the Dune books (the ones by Frank Herbert, anyway); the Hitchhiker's Guide; some Wells, Bradbury, Philip K. Dick... I was looking for something else to read and stumbled on a post that had a link to the site I mentioned. I checked it out and found it intriguing. I wanted to discuss it but couldn't find the forum where I found the post, so I posted here thinking maybe others would be interested too.
 
The concept of creating a rich science fiction universe based on music is appealing.[/QUOTE said:
That's what draws me to this, and why I posted the question. There's music, but also a story, and what seems to be an invitation to participate. It doesn't seem like any of these elements is more important than the others, though the music seems to be at the heart of it. But in a way it seems more like a seed that's been planted, that someone hopes others will tend and water so it can grow into something the planter didn't even imagine. Or maybe I'm reading into it too much and projecting my own thoughts on it. But that's the impression I get. And it makes me wonder what to call this... is it a music album? a short story? performance art? all of the above?

I also like that, while it's presented as science-fiction, it's done in a way so that it leaves the door open a crack for the possibility that it is true. If it were blasting all over the tv or Facebook or whatever it would obviously be something somebody's trying to sell or promote for whatever reason. That people are reacting to having gotten cassette tapes in the mail makes it possible for me to believe that maybe there really are these guys from a small record label who found these research groups about alien transmissions and that, I too could be a researcher and discover "truths" about these aliens. Not that I really believe that, but the door is open just that little crack to make it more fun to play along, and think "what if". You know what I mean? It's easy to be cynical and think everything is for the purpose of making a buck or to immediately put something in a familiar box of things we've already encountered. Maybe time will prove me wrong, but I think this is different, and until I see otherwise, I'm holding out hope that it is.
 
Keyword is IF
Anytime something has an 'if' associated with it the concept become speculative. Speculative Fiction encompasses Science Fiction.

I watched a unique zombie movie once that really got me thinking on the concepts of new science fiction.
The movie "Pontypool" explored the concept that the spoken word was causing insanity.

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Pontypool (2008) - IMDb
Pontypool

If you feel this would be entertaining then you should participate. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions concerning their own lives. I personally am not interested in participating at the moment but if this takes hold I might.
I consider it the same as creating a science fiction universe based around a painting.
Alien was based around a sculpture by Giger.
Who knows, it could just suddenly take off.
I think you should go for it.
 
Yeah, I'm keeping my eye on it. If something comes to me and I feel moved to post it, I'll join in. I think it's just a matter of time, but I'm not there yet. Thanks for engaging with me on this, anyway.
 
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