Introduction To Audio Production

"Compiler" a Musique Concrète piece by Lukas Watson.

Introduction

This project involved creating a 2–3 minute piece of musique concrète using found sounds, field recordings, and audio manipulation techniques. Musique concrète is a form of experimental music that uses recorded sound as raw material, often removing traditional instruments or musical structure. The goal of this piece was to explore sound in a more abstract and textural way, focusing on the emotional or atmospheric impact of everyday noises. I approached the task by thinking about how familiar sounds could be transformed into something unfamiliar or expressive.

1. Concept and Originality

The idea behind the piece came from Bungie's newest game, Marathon. The game is set on a distant planet called Tau Ceti IIIV, an abandoned earth colony planet now filled with dangourous AI and alien threats. One of these aliens are the S'phit, the earthlings call them Compilers. This piece is inspired by these alien's very nature. I wanted to create a piece that felt eerie, unnatural and rhythmic using only non-musical sounds. Instead of building a traditional melody or rhythm, I structured the piece around contrasting textures and dynamics.

compiler from original marathon game (Bungie 1994)

Compiler from new Cinematic trailer (Bungie 2025)

Every sound was recorded myself. I focused on everyday objects or environments, treating them as instruments after the use of many plugins. This made the process unpredictable and more personal. I also tried to challenge the listener’s expectations by combining harsh and soft elements or interrupting repetitive moments with sudden changes in texture.

Originally I was more inspired from the game's electronic music genre, but after beginning the piece's development I noticed the sound started to shift more towards the genre of noise which in the end seems to match the framework of musique concrète better.

2. Technical Process

The recording process was done entirley on my phone's microphone recorded here in the Illawara. I collected a wide range of raw material including electronic noises and man made objects like cans or bottles. After gathering sounds, I imported them into pro tools intro for editing.

Some sounds were pitch-shifted, reverberated and generally messed with using a wide array of plugins mostly from FREAKSHOW INDUSTRIES a favourite of mine. I also used effects like EQ, Plugin effect automation and delay to build atmosphere and space. Some sounds went through the same changes while also being clipped into very short lengths to form percussive elements. Layering was a big part of the composition, especially when I wanted to blend smooth tones with rough textures. Panning helped me place elements in different areas of the stereo field, giving a sense of movement or depth.

3. Development Over Time

The project went through a few stages. At first, I was mainly experimenting with different sounds without thinking too much about the structure of electronic music. After a while, I started noticing patterns or moods forming, and that helped shape the direction of the piece into the genre of Noise . I made a few early drafts that I ended up scrapping because they didn’t match the tone I was going for.

Over time, I got more confident in editing and started trusting my ear more. The second half of the project was more focused and intentional. I revised the arrangement several times, especially after listening with headphones and catching things I hadn’t noticed on speakers. I used the aforementioned use of plugin automation to mix up elements when the patterns began to become to repetitive. This final touch really helped form the piece into something entirely alien. 

4. Listening & Research

To get a better understanding of musique concrète and noise, I watched videos on the history of the genres and listened to music from Marathon. 

One piece that really inspired me was this hidden soundtrack song found by the game's community. Because it used real world sounds like the piano and electronic elements creating a eerie contrast really effectively. I tried to reflect that idea in my own piece by leaving space between certain layers and not overcrowding the mix. learning about the history of musique concrète made me realise how much of it is about careful listening and experimenting, not just technical skill.

Conclusion

Overall, this project taught me how to think differently about sound. I learned how to turn small, overlooked noises into something expressive and meaningful. Working with audio like this made me more aware of my surroundings and more comfortable using Pro tools (a DAW I had no experience with prior to this class). I think the piece came out very well , so well i might include it in a album im working on as a interlude. I’m keen to keep exploring this kind of sound art in future uni or personal projects.

Here are the unedited sounds used to create my piece "Compiler"

("rhythmic zap" sound recorded from a charging battery)

("Wood chair organ" sound recorded from a wooden chair's back support being rubbed onto another peice of wood furniture creating this melodic noise)

("Audi buzzes" sound captured from a car's glitching sound system)

("Bloopsplash" sound recorded from hitting a barely full soda can being hit with my hand.)

("Doooing" sound recorded from hitting a metal water bottle against a tabletop)