Home : Tune Toys : Expresso 
  Expresso takes a simple musical expression (literally "X") and mutates it. In each generation, transformations are applied to components of the expression. This is a fractal technique known as an L-system. The more generations there are, the larger and more complex the expression gets (and the longer it can take to compute). The output varies wildly, from boring to fascinating. Press "Mutate" a few times till you get something that looks interesting, then click on the image to play it. See Composer's Quarry for examples of output.

Transformations:
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After 19 generations the expression "X" became this:
(transpose((((((transpose((((transpose((((transpose(X,4) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,12) ) +step((X|X) ,12) ) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) ,4) |step((((transpose(X,-5) +transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,7) ) |transpose(X,4) ) +(arpeggio(X) +X) ) ,12) ) +transpose(((arpeggio(transpose(echo(transpose(X,4) ,4,6) ,-5) ) +transpose(((arpeggio(X) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,4) ) +transpose((X+transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose((X|X) ,4) ,-5) ,7) ) ,-5) ) |(transpose(transpose((transpose(transpose((X|X) ,-5) ,-5) |(transpose((X+transpose(step(X,12) ,12) ) ,4) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,12) ) +X) ,12) ) ) ,-5) ,4) +transpose((transpose(((echo((X+X) ,4,6) +transpose(((X+transpose(transpose(X,4) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) |(((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(shuffle((X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ,7) ) +shuffle(X) ) +((X+transpose(arpeggio(X) ,12) ) +arpeggio(X) ) ) ) ,-7) +transpose(transpose((((echo(X,4,6) |transpose(arpeggio(shuffle(transpose(shuffle(X) ,-7) ) ) ,-5) ) +transpose(transpose((echo(((((X+X) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose((X+X) ,7) ) ,4,6) +transpose(transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,4) ,4) ) ,-5) ,4) ) +transpose((echo(transpose(step(X,12) ,-7) ,4,6) +transpose((((((X+X) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose((transpose(X,4) +(X+X) ) ,12) ) |transpose(echo(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4,6) ,-7) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,4) ,12) ) ,7) ) ) ,4) +transpose((((transpose(transpose((transpose(arpeggio(X) ,4) |echo(X,4,6) ) ,4) ,-5) |transpose(transpose(((transpose(X,4) |(X|X) ) |(X+transpose(X,7) ) ) ,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(((transpose((transpose(shuffle((X|X) ) ,4) |step(X,12) ) ,-7) +transpose(transpose(transpose((transpose(X,4) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-7) ,4) ,4) ) +transpose((((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) |(((((X+transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,7) ) +((X+X) +transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,7) ) ) +transpose(transpose((step(X,12) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) ,7) ) ) +transpose((step(X,12) +transpose(((transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) +transpose(echo(transpose(X,4) ,4,6) ,4) ) +transpose((arpeggio(X) |(X|X) ) ,7) ) ,-5) ) ,7) ) +transpose(((echo(X,4,6) +transpose((transpose(step(X,12) ,-7) |transpose((((X|X) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(shuffle(X) ,7) ) ,-7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose((echo(X,4,6) +transpose(step(echo(X,4,6) ,12) ,7) ) ,4) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) +transpose(transpose(((((X+(transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,-7) +transpose(transpose((transpose(X,-5) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ,12) ) ) +transpose(((((X|transpose(X,4) ) |(step(X,12) +transpose(X,12) ) ) +step(transpose(X,-5) ,12) ) +transpose(((shuffle(((X+X) |transpose(X,4) ) ) |(transpose(X,-7) |transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,-7) ) ) +transpose((transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-5) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,12) ) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) ,12) ) +transpose(transpose((shuffle(X) |shuffle(transpose(X,-5) ) ) ,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(echo((arpeggio((X|X) ) +echo((arpeggio(X) +transpose(X,4) ) ,4,6) ) ,4,6) ,7) ) ,-5) ,7) ) ,7) ) +transpose(transpose(echo(transpose(shuffle(transpose(transpose(transpose(step(transpose((X|(X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ,-5) ,12) ,-7) ,-5) ,-5) ) ,4) ,4,6) ,-5) ,4) ) +transpose(((transpose((transpose(((step(transpose(X,-5) ,12) +transpose(transpose(step((X|X) ,12) ,4) ,7) ) +transpose((transpose(transpose(step(X,12) ,-5) ,4) +transpose(arpeggio((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(X,12) ) ) ,-5) ) ,12) ) ,-5) +transpose(transpose(step(((echo(transpose(X,4) ,4,6) +transpose(arpeggio(step((echo(X,4,6) +transpose(X,12) ) ,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(step((arpeggio(X) +transpose(X,12) ) ,12) ,-7) ,7) ) ,12) ,4) ,7) ) ,-5) +transpose(transpose((transpose(((transpose(transpose(X,4) ,-5) +transpose(transpose(transpose(X,4) ,-7) ,7) ) +echo(transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-5) ,4,6) ) ,4) |((((((((transpose(X,4) +transpose(transpose(arpeggio(X) ,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,7) ) +transpose((shuffle((X+X) ) +(X+X) ) ,4) ) +transpose(((transpose(transpose(X,4) ,4) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ) +transpose((step(X,12) |X) ,7) ) ,7) ) |(X+transpose(X,-5) ) ) +(transpose(arpeggio(((X+transpose(X,12) ) +transpose(X,-5) ) ) ,-5) +echo(echo(transpose(X,4) ,4,6) ,4,6) ) ) |step(transpose(arpeggio(transpose(((X+X) +(X+transpose(X,7) ) ) ,4) ) ,-7) ,12) ) |shuffle(transpose(((((shuffle(X) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,7) ) +transpose((X|transpose(X,-5) ) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose((((X+X) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,7) ) |(X+transpose(X,7) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,-7) ) ) ) ,-7) ,12) ) +transpose((transpose(shuffle(transpose(arpeggio(transpose((X+(X+transpose(X,7) ) ) ,-5) ) ,4) ) ,-7) +transpose(transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,-7) ,7) ) ,-7) ) ,7) ) +transpose((arpeggio(((transpose(((arpeggio(transpose((arpeggio(X) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,12) ) ,-7) ) +transpose((echo(transpose(arpeggio(arpeggio(X) ) ,4) ,4,6) |transpose((transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,-7) +transpose(arpeggio(X) ,12) ) ,-5) ) ,7) ) +(arpeggio(((X+((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) +(transpose(X,-7) |X) ) ) +transpose((step(echo(shuffle(X) ,4,6) ,12) +transpose(transpose((X|X) ,-7) ,7) ) ,12) ) ) ,-7) +((shuffle(arpeggio(echo(((X+X) +transpose(X,12) ) ,4,6) ) ) +transpose(((arpeggio(X) +transpose(shuffle(transpose((X+X) ,4) ) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose(X,-5) +transpose((X|transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,-5) ) ,-7) ) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose(X,4) ,-7) ,-5) ,7) ) ) |echo(echo(step(X,12) ,4,6) ,4,6) ) ) +transpose(arpeggio(transpose(((((transpose(((transpose(X,-7) +transpose((arpeggio(step(X,12) ) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,12) ) ,12) ) |transpose((transpose(X,-5) |X) ,-7) ) ,-7) +echo(transpose((X+step(X,12) ) ,-5) ,4,6) ) |shuffle(((transpose(((echo(X,4,6) +((X|X) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,12) ) ) +transpose(step(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ,7) ) ,-7) +transpose(((((X+X) +transpose((echo(X,4,6) |shuffle(X) ) ,12) ) +transpose(((transpose(X,-5) +transpose(step(X,12) ,12) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(((transpose(X,-5) +transpose((transpose(X,-5) |X) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose(X,4) +(X|X) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(arpeggio((((transpose(transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,-5) ,-7) +echo((X+X) ,4,6) ) +transpose((arpeggio(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,-7) ) +transpose((transpose(X,-7) +transpose((X|X) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,7) ) ) ) +transpose(transpose(((((shuffle(transpose((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(transpose((X+X) ,-5) ,7) ) ,-7) ) +transpose(((X+step(transpose(X,4) ,12) ) +((arpeggio(X) +transpose(arpeggio(X) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) ,7) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose(((step(X,12) +transpose(((transpose(X,-7) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) +echo(transpose((echo(X,4,6) |(X+X) ) ,-5) ,4,6) ) ,7) ) +transpose((echo(transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,-5) ,4) ,4,6) |((transpose((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) |(X+X) ) ,4) +transpose(transpose(step(X,12) ,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(echo(shuffle((X+X) ) ,4,6) ,7) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose(((X+X) +(X|X) ) ,-5) |((arpeggio(transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose((echo(X,4,6) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,7) ) ,-5) ,7) ) +(transpose(((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(X,12) ) ,4) +transpose(transpose((transpose(X,-5) +(X+transpose(X,7) ) ) ,-7) ,-5) ) ) ,4) ) ,12) ) ,12) ) +(echo((transpose(((echo(((transpose(X,4) +transpose(step((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,12) ,4) ) +transpose((X+X) ,7) ) ,4,6) +(transpose(X,-7) |transpose(X,-5) ) ) +transpose((transpose((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +step(X,12) ) ,4) +transpose((echo(step(X,12) ,4,6) +transpose((shuffle(X) +transpose(transpose((X|X) ,-5) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,12) ) ,-7) ) ,4) +transpose((transpose(arpeggio(transpose(((transpose(transpose(X,4) ,4) +transpose(step(X,12) ,-7) ) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) ,4) ) ,-7) ) ,-5) +transpose((transpose(((X+X) +transpose(((shuffle(X) +X) +echo(X,4,6) ) ,-5) ) ,-5) +((((step(X,12) +(transpose((X+X) ,-7) +transpose(X,12) ) ) +transpose(transpose((transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) +transpose(((X|X) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-5) ) ,4) ,7) ) +transpose(((transpose(X,-7) +((transpose((step(X,12) |transpose(X,-5) ) ,-5) +transpose((transpose(X,4) +transpose((X|X) ,12) ) ,-5) ) +transpose(((X|X) +transpose((((X+transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,7) ) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(X,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose((X+X) ,7) ) ,12) ) ,7) ) ) +transpose(arpeggio(transpose((transpose(shuffle(X) ,-5) +transpose(transpose(step(X,12) ,-7) ,7) ) ,-5) ) ,7) ) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(step(transpose((X+transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) ,-5) ,12) ,-5) ,7) ) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,4,6) |transpose(shuffle(transpose(transpose(shuffle((X+transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,7) ) ) ,-5) ,4) ) ,-5) ) ) ,-7) +transpose(arpeggio(transpose(transpose((shuffle(arpeggio(echo((echo(((((X+transpose(X,12) ) +transpose((X+(X+X) ) ,4) ) +transpose(arpeggio(X) ,7) ) |(echo(transpose(((X+transpose(X,7) ) |X) ,-5) ,4,6) +transpose(transpose(((echo(X,4,6) +transpose((X+X) ,4) ) +transpose((X|X) ,7) ) ,4) ,12) ) ) ,4,6) +transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose(((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) |shuffle(X) ) +(X+X) ) ,-7) ,4) ,-5) ,-7) ) ,4,6) ) ) |(transpose((arpeggio(transpose(((transpose((((transpose(X,-5) +X) |((X+transpose(X,12) ) +X) ) +transpose(transpose((transpose(transpose((X+X) ,-5) ,4) +arpeggio(transpose(X,-5) ) ) ,4) ,12) ) ,-5) +transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,-5) ,-5) ,4) ,4) ) +transpose(shuffle(transpose(arpeggio(arpeggio(transpose(shuffle(X) ,4) ) ) ,-7) ) ,7) ) ,-5) ) +transpose(transpose(arpeggio((transpose(arpeggio((X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ,4) +transpose((X+X) ,-5) ) ) ,-5) ,12) ) ,-5) +transpose((((echo(((((((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) |X) +transpose((X+transpose(X,7) ) ,12) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,7) ) |(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,12) ) ) ,4,6) +transpose((transpose(((X+transpose((transpose((X|X) ,4) |(X+X) ) ,4) ) +transpose(((((echo(X,4,6) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(shuffle(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ,7) ) +transpose(step((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,12) ,12) ) +(shuffle((((transpose(X,4) +transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) +(X|X) ) ) |transpose((X+transpose((X+X) ,7) ) ,-7) ) ) ,7) ) ,-5) +transpose((((step(shuffle(transpose((X|X) ,-5) ) ,12) |(transpose((((X+X) +transpose((transpose(X,-5) |transpose(X,-7) ) ,4) ) +transpose((transpose(X,-7) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,7) ) ,7) ) ,-5) +transpose(step(X,12) ,12) ) ) +transpose((((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(X,12) ) +(((X|((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,7) ) ) +transpose(arpeggio(transpose(((X|X) +echo(X,4,6) ) ,-5) ) ,4) ) +transpose(echo(transpose(X,4) ,4,6) ,7) ) ) ,12) ) |((transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,-5) +transpose((echo((X+(X+transpose(X,12) ) ) ,4,6) +(echo(X,4,6) +(((X|X) +transpose((X+transpose(X,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) ) ,4) ) +transpose(((X+((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ) +transpose(X,4) ) ,7) ) ) ,12) ) ,4) ) +transpose((((transpose(X,-5) |echo(transpose((X+X) ,-7) ,4,6) ) +transpose(((X+transpose(X,7) ) +transpose((X+X) ,12) ) ,7) ) |transpose((step((step(step(transpose(X,4) ,12) ,12) +transpose((X|X) ,4) ) ,12) |transpose(transpose(((X|X) +transpose(X,12) ) ,4) ,-5) ) ,-7) ) ,7) ) +transpose(echo((((transpose(transpose(((X+transpose(X,4) ) +transpose(X,7) ) ,-7) ,4) +transpose(transpose((X|X) ,-7) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose((echo(X,4,6) +transpose(transpose(X,4) ,7) ) ,4) ,7) ) +(((transpose(transpose(X,-5) ,-7) +transpose(X,12) ) +transpose(transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,4) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(((echo(X,4,6) +transpose(echo(X,4,6) ,4) ) +transpose(transpose(X,-7) ,7) ) ,4) ,7) ) ) ,4,6) ,7) ) ,4) ) ) ,-7) ,-7) ) ,12) )
random seed used was 70810885

The algorithm for Expresso is written in KeyKit, and here's the source code.