BenStullsBets
4f4f21a767
Replace the single ethereal loop with the operator's chosen set — Music for Manatees, Dewdrop Fantasy, Eastminster, Overheat, Concentration (Kevin MacLeod, CC BY 4.0, drumless). The Music source now plays one track and every 5 min crossfades to a random OTHER track (pure HEFScrub.pickNextIndex, never an immediate repeat), altitude-independent, reusing the two audio elements; both primed in-gesture for Safari. Intervals injectable via window.__hefMusicRotateMs / __hefMusicXfadeMs. Media loudness-normalized + transcoded under the 25MB LFS limit (build_audio_media MUSIC), committed via LFS; ethereal loop retired. CC-BY attribution added to credits.html. Docs updated (music-candidate-pool = final set; audio-candidate-pool ethereal section superseded). +2 node unit (pickNextIndex), +2 e2e (music-playlist), audio-source spec updated. 40 unit + 49 e2e green; live probe confirms playback + rotation. Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.8 <noreply@anthropic.com>
9.1 KiB
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.
FINAL selection — WIRED 2026-07-02
After a Round-4 drumless pass, the operator's final Music set = 5 Kevin MacLeod tracks (CC BY 4.0), now shipped as a rotating crossfading playlist:
Music for Manatees · Dewdrop Fantasy · Eastminster · Overheat · Concentration
Wiring: app.js MUSIC_PLAYLIST — the Music source plays one track and every
MUSIC_ROTATE_MS (5 min) crossfades to a random OTHER track (pickNextIndex, never an
immediate repeat), altitude-independent, on the two #aud/#aud-b elements. Files
loudness-normalized + transcoded under the 25MB LFS limit by build_audio_media.py
(MUSIC), committed via LFS; the single ethereal loop was retired. Credited on
credits.html (CC BY attribution). Earlier candidates below kept for record.
(History: the operator first kept Dream Culture + Silver Blue Light, then — after the drumless Round-4 pass — chose the 5 long-form/floaty tracks above instead.)
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.organdincompetech.comURLs are live/hot-linkable now but shouldn't be depended on in prod.
Round 4 — drumless, chord-moving (the refined set, 2026-07-02)
All Kevin MacLeod, CC BY 4.0, drumless confirmed from his per-track pieces.json
instrument metadata (tonal instruments only — no drum kit/percussion), verified live (206).
This is the authoritative candidate list; the lo-fi below (beat-driven) is dropped.
(mp3 host https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/mp3-royaltyfree/<Title>.mp3; source page
https://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=<code>.)
Best matches — metered, chords clearly move (safest bets, like the two keepers):
| title | isrc | dur | instruments | harmony |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Impact Lento | USUAN1100619 | 3:31 | Synths, Choir | "several striking chord progressions" |
| Dreams Become Real | USUAN1500027 | 6:50 | Piano, Synths | dreamy, layered, evolving (closest to Dream Culture) |
| Aretes | USUAN1100325 | 4:36 | Piano, Synths, Choir | warm major, clear motion |
| When The Wind Blows | USUAN1100717 | 4:26 | Guitar, Synths | lilting, calm (Silver-Blue-Light recipe) |
| Reawakening | USUAN1400017 | 3:34 | Piano, Cello | warm resolving progression |
| Almost New | USUAN1800008 | 3:23 | Piano, Basses | gentle moving harmony (documented) |
Long-form / floaty — drumless but slower-moving (audition for "boring" risk):
| title | isrc | dur | instruments | note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music for Manatees | USUAN1400009 | 17:36 | Piano, EP, Strings, Synth | slow consonant shifts |
| Clean Soul | USUAN1300033 | 5:07 | Electric Piano, Bass | spacious, sparser |
| Soaring | USUAN1600040 | 6:20 | Synths | evolving pads, mystical-calm |
| Dewdrop Fantasy | USUAN1700001 | 34:58 | Synths, Rain | slowly changing, lower density |
| Eastminster | USUAN1100719 | 6:45 | Plucked Strings, Synths | drone + koto, some tension — least chordal |
| Overheat | USUAN1100630 | 7:03 | Flute, Synth, Violin | trance-y minimalism |
| Concentration | — | 29:53 | Synths, EP | floaty, lower density |
Reference: the kept Dream Culture is tagged "Piano, Percussion" (subtle beat); Silver Blue Light is "Guitar, Synths" (drumless). The Round-4 picks are strictly tonal-only. A ~40-track filtered pool of more drumless-calm-chordal KM tracks exists if a bigger rotation is wanted.
Rejected this round (percussion / not soothing): Angel Share (Drums), Dreamer (Percussion, bpm 100), Lightless Dawn (Percussion + unnerving), Anamalie (Percussion + dark), Chill Wave & all HoliznaCC0 lo-fi (beat-driven).
Candidates — earlier mellow-synth round (lo-fi DROPPED, kept for record)
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.