docs(audio): pivot Music direction to mellow chordal synth

Operator dropped binaural. New direction: mellow, soothing synth with real chord movement. docs/music-candidate-pool.md = 12 ranked + spares, all CC0 (HoliznaCC0 lo-fi) or CC BY (Kevin MacLeod calming synth), verified live. Local review gallery simulator/static/review_music.html (gitignored). Binaural doc parked with a pointer. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-07-02 14:20:31 -07:00
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+# Music candidate pool — mellow chordal synth (2026-07-02)
+
+The chosen direction for the **Music** audio option: **mellow, soothing synth music with
+real chord movement** ("many chords" — progressions that evolve, not static drones or
+binaural tones). Supersedes the binaural exploration ([[binaural-candidate-pool]] — parked).
+We'll use **several** tracks and **crossfade between them** (not loop one).
+
+All **CC0 or CC-BY** (verified by fetching each page + a live HTTP 206 check on every audio
+URL). Local review gallery (gitignored, like the other review pages):
+`simulator/static/review_music.html` → open `/review_music.html` with the sim server running.
+
+**Honesty flag:** licenses + URLs are verified; the "harmony" notes are inferred from
+genre/reputation, not a by-ear check — audition before final selection.
+
+## Two license families
+
+- **HoliznaCC0 = CC0** — zero attribution burden (simplest for the credits page).
+- **Kevin MacLeod = CC BY 4.0** — must credit, e.g. *"Chill Wave by Kevin MacLeod —
+  incompetech.com — Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0."* The credits page
+  already exists, so this is fine.
+- **Self-host everything** on R2 for the install — the `files.freemusicarchive.org` and
+  `incompetech.com` URLs are live/hot-linkable now but shouldn't be depended on in prod.
+
+## Candidates (ranked by chord movement)
+
+### Lo-fi / dreamy — HoliznaCC0 (CC0)
+
+| id | title | source page | mp3 (verified 206) | dur | harmony |
+|---|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `tokyo`   | Tokyo Sunset | https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/tokyo-sunset-lofi-peaceful-soft/ | .../Xnd9Hr5AVzB68IlWcImKtXPlwCePD2G2m8ZFSVj4.mp3 | 2:18 | jazzy extended-chord progression |
+| `reverie` | Dreamy Reverie | https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/dreamy-reverie-lofi-nostalgic-chill/ | .../Bo2XWazV4kHpnPksjJGRRLr16EmOE44NZnMITZaB.mp3 | 2:23 | moving 7th/9th chords |
+| `complic` | Complicated Feelings | https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/complicated-feelings-lofi-dreamy-relaxed/ | .../jEFkzWNxxtz76vjPoUOjZALHvdK3HkVMQAnGpgTn.mp3 | 2:39 | bittersweet changes |
+| `drift`   | Peaceful Drift | https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/peaceful-drift-lofi-nostalgic-calm/ | .../SQvtLguk6S1VSthv0oXWycoB6ipUS0pt8jzAxxPq.mp3 | 2:08 | calm nostalgic progression |
+| `currents`| Calm Currents | https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/calm-currents-lofi-relax-calm/ | .../4rKapZUMNnNSPAOvpjlfSH6B5Ib8rgEWdvjnM7C6.mp3 | 2:27 | flowing chords |
+| `moon`    | Moon Unit | https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/moon-unit-lofi-reflection-dreamy/ | .../CbNZO1QUuJq1f50RHzZ5kykNj1hdqT04UaWOYSNf.mp3 | 2:52 | reflective dreamy chords |
+| `mist`    | Into The Mist | https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/into-the-mist-lofi-calm-relaxed/ | .../cI5iv9Xga0OOvGsS7mGZn9BlTshZdzAqLW7bmArA.mp3 | 2:09 | calm progression |
+| `wave`    | Wave Maker | https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/public-domain-lofi/wave-maker-lofi-dreamy-retro/ | .../SbPJTWMnBmT5yBsXP4jLfp6RsvWLhfOnbw2PxXol.mp3 | 3:05 | warm analog retro chords |
+
+*(mp3 host: `https://files.freemusicarchive.org/storage-freemusicarchive-org/tracks/`)*
+
+### Calming synth — Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0 — credit required)
+
+| id | title | source page | mp3 (verified 206) | dur | harmony |
+|---|---|---|---|---|---|
+| `chillwave`  | Chill Wave | https://archive.org/details/ChillWave_781 | https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/Chill%20Wave.mp3 | 3:57 | clear repeating 4-chord cycle |
+| `enchanted`  | Enchanted Journey | https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Calming | https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/Enchanted%20Journey.mp3 | 4:29 | many changes, warm major |
+| `dreamcult`  | Dream Culture | https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Calming | https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/Dream%20Culture.mp3 | 3:34 | evolving chord sequence |
+| `silverblue` | Silver Blue Light | https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Kevin_MacLeod/Calming | https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/Silver%20Blue%20Light.mp3 | 5:50 | slow, deliberate changes |
+
+### Spares
+
+- **Clean Soul** — Kevin MacLeod — CC BY — 5:06 — `https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/Clean%20Soul.mp3`
+- **Old Age** — HoliznaCC0 — CC0 — 3:33 — https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/only-in-the-milky-way-part-1/old-age/
+- **Deja Vu** — HoliznaCC0 — CC0 — 2:04 — https://freemusicarchive.org/music/holiznacc0/only-in-the-milky-way-part-1/deja-vu/
+- More Kevin MacLeod (all CC BY 4.0, incompetech): Dreamer, Reawakening, Lightless Dawn,
+  Almost New, Angel Share. The whole **HoliznaCC0 "Public Domain Lofi"** album is 42 CC0
+  tracks in this vibe — a ready-made rotation if wanted.
+
+## Rejected / not used
+
+- **Kevin MacLeod baroque/classical "public-domain" pieces** — the *composition* is PD but
+  incompetech states the *recording* is CC BY 4.0; harpsichord/orchestral, off-brief anyway.
+- **NC finds** (great but non-commercial): Scott Holmes "Ambient Meditation" (CC BY-NC),
+  ccMixter chordal ambient (Jeris/Quarkstar/duckett — CC BY-NC).
+- **"Hang Binaural" — Mindseye** — CC BY-SA (ShareAlike), excluded per the CC0/CC-BY rule.
+
+## Next
+
+Operator auditions `review_music.html`, ticks keepers (Copy picks). Then wire the **Music**
+source to a multi-track set that crossfades between the kept tracks (replaces the single
+ethereal loop; see [[audio-music-option]]). Kept CC-BY tracks get a credit line on
+`credits.html`; all kept files self-hosted on R2.