A Prototype for Exploration of Computational Strangeness in the Context of Rhythm Variation

In this paper, we follow up on the recently emerged idea of “computational strangeness,” which represents algorithmic recommendations as artistic obstructions in creative work. The concept of “strangeness” stems from a process of user engagement in the context of a collaboration between Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Music Information Retrieval (MIR), in which professional makers of Electronic Dance Music requested tools that abandon the“more-of-thesame” paradigm of similarity-based retrieval in favor of the possibility to get serendipitous, opposing results to stimulate the creative process. We describe a prototype that allows the user to explore the space of dissimilarity for the case of rhythmic patterns by means of a simple dial. This “strangeness dial” allows the gradual adjustment of the degree of desired otherness. We test this initial prototype in a questionnaire-based user study to inform future developments. A central outcome is that dissimilarity-based notions, such as “otherness” and “strangeness”, — even more than similarity — are highly subjective concepts that can not be addressed without strategies for personalization.