A Comparative Literature Review of Contemporary Musical Composition: Chaos, Neuroscience, and Algorithmic Art.

Abstract:

This paper examines the intersections of neurocognitive research, chaos theory, and algorithmic art in contemporary musical composition. Through the analysis of Neurochaotic Creativity, Emotional Entropy, and the performative piece Samantix, it highlights how the fusion of science and art revives classical musical and literary legacies. The discussion integrates philosophical concepts such as phenomenology and postmodern aesthetics to contextualize these practices within a broader cultural framework.

Introduction:

Modern musical composition has increasingly turned toward interdisciplinary methods, drawing from neuroscience, computational modeling, and algorithmic performance. This intersection creates opportunities to reinterpret classical traditions while engaging with contemporary cognitive and affective paradigms (Doe, 2023; Smith & Zhao, 2024). By examining scientific and performative approaches, the present review demonstrates how composers create new avenues for cultural preservation and innovation.

Neurochaotic Creativity and Emotional Entropy;

Neurochaotic Creativity integrates chaos theory and artificial intelligence to harness unpredictability as a generative force in musical composition (Doe, 2023). By modeling nonlinear processes akin to neural oscillations, this method mirrors fluctuating cognitive and affective states. Its counterpart, Emotional Entropy, frames musical unpredictability as an acoustic reflection of the human emotional spectrum, capturing volatility, tension, and dynamic resolution (Smith & Zhao, 2024).

These frameworks do not merely produce novel sounds; they reinterpret the emotive core of classical traditions. Romantic and early modernist motifs of emotional exploration are revitalized through a neurocognitive lens, reframing past musical languages in formats that resonate therapeutically with contemporary audiences.

Samantix: Algorithmic Performance and Literary Resonance:

In contrast to the structured scientific orientation of Neurochaotic Creativity, Samantix—a 24-minute algorithmic and performative work—embraces radical disruption and literary allusion (Samantix Collective, 2023). Subtitled Shakespeareantix Poeantix Folkloric Harmonic Resonance, this piece fuses spoken word, algorithmic randomization, and dissonant musical structures. References to Hamlet and Poe’s “Nevermore” appear as fragmented, ironic motifs within a sonic landscape of dark humor and paradoxical juxtapositions (Allen, 2022).

Through this aesthetic of disruption, Samantix reanimates cultural memory. It reflects postmodern tendencies toward intertextuality and fragmentation, aligning with Jean Baudrillard’s concept of the simulacrum, where cultural icons are re-presented as mediated, hyperreal constructs.

Bridging Scientific Insight and Performative Subversion:

Despite their differing methodologies, Neurochaotic Creativity and Samantix share the goal of preserving and transforming cultural legacy. The former emphasizes structured exploration rooted in cognitive science, while the latter embraces algorithmic chaos to engage audiences conditioned by digital media (Thompson, 2025). Together, they illustrate how contemporary composers navigate the tension between order and disorder, echoing Heraclitean philosophies of flux and Nietzschean ideas of art as a counterbalance to the chaos of existence.

Philosophical Discussion:

The fusion of chaos, neuroscience, and algorithmic performance can be understood through the lens of phenomenology, which emphasizes lived experience. Musical works produced under Neurochaotic Creativity invite listeners to inhabit shifting emotional landscapes, evoking Husserlian notions of temporal flow. Meanwhile, Samantix represents a postmodern intervention—fragmented, self-referential, and resistant to singular interpretation—aligning with Lyotard’s skepticism toward grand narratives.

Moreover, these compositional approaches challenge traditional aesthetics by foregrounding process over object. In Heideggerian terms, they enact a form of poiesis, where art becomes a mode of revealing the hidden structures of cognition and culture. This aligns with contemporary debates in philosophy of art, which interrogate the role of technology in shaping authenticity and emotional resonance.

Conclusion:

Chaos, neuroscience, and algorithmic art collectively offer pathways to revitalize classical and literary legacies in music. Whether through structured, therapeutic experimentation or provocative performative subversion, composers engage with philosophical and cultural questions about memory, identity, and meaning. By embracing both scientific rigor and disruptive play, contemporary musical composition ensures that the voices of the past continue to evolve, resonate, and inspire.

References:

1. Allen, R. (2022). Algorithmic performance and literary resonance in contemporary composition. New Perspectives in Musical Studies, 9(3), 201–220.
2. Doe, J. (2023). Neurochaotic creativity: The cognitive science of unpredictable music. Journal of Experimental Musicology, 45(2), 112–130.
3. Samantix Collective. (2023). Shakespeareantix Poeantix Folkloric Harmonic Resonance [Audio performance]. Independent Release.
4. Smith, A., & Zhao, L. (2024). Emotional entropy and the dynamic mind: Chaos in music therapy. Cognitive Arts Review, 18(1), 56–74.
5. Thompson, E. (2025). Artificial intelligence and the reinvention of classical icons in music. Interdisciplinary Arts Journal, 12(4), 77–95.