Sphaerosymphony

The Music

Sphaerosymphony’s music engine turns air quality data into generative soundscapes. Choose a sensor ID or click a hex on the map to hear the evolving composition.

Sensor ID:

Recorder idle

Instrumentation Info

Chords Texture Drums

Chord Instrument Drum Engine Clean Lead Dirty Lead

Chord: —

Texture: —

Drums: —

Drum Level: —

Air Quality Map

Choose a station

How the Music Works

Sphaerosymphony now creates music live in your browser using a small, efficient sound system. It is generated from the selected station’s latest 24 hourly air quality readings, with no pre-recorded track.

Engine & Instruments

A single browser audio context runs the whole piece.

Notes are scheduled in a short lookahead window for stable playback.

Current sound palette: piano, guitar, harp and drum kit.

Station-Consistent Composition

Each sensor ID seeds the generator, so a station keeps its own musical identity. When you revisit the same station, you hear the same core compositional behavior.

Pollution Mapping

PM₁₀: drives beat intensity and tempo. Higher PM₁₀ produces denser percussion and faster pace.

PM₂.₅ + PM₁₀: drive mood and harmony. Cleaner air favors major progressions; polluted air shifts toward minor progressions and darker voicings.

Melody density: adjusts probabilistically so the texture stays musical, not random noise.

The result is ambient, continuously evolving music that stays coherent while reflecting local air conditions in real time.

PM₂.₅ & PM₁₀ – What the Levels Mean

PM₂.₅ (particles smaller than 2.5 microns) can reach deep into the lungs, even entering the bloodstream. PM₁₀ (particles up to 10 microns) mainly affect the nose and throat. Both are measured in µg/m³ (micrograms per cubic metre).

📏 Standards & Guidelines

WHO 2021: Daily average ≤ 15 µg/m³ (PM₂.₅), ≤ 45 µg/m³ (PM₁₀)

UK/EU: PM₂.₅ annual ≤ 20–25 µg/m³; PM₁₀ daily ≤ 50 µg/m³ (≤35 days/yr)

🌈 Colour Scale used for the hexagon tiles on the map

0–10 µg/m³: Good – clean, healthy air

10–20: Fair – still acceptable

20–50: Moderate – pollution noticeable

50–75: Poor – health impacts likely

75–100: Very Poor – unsafe for sensitive groups

100+: Extreme – hazardous air quality

The map colours and music follow these bands – green means cleaner air and lighter music, while red and purple mean heavier, harsher tones.