psy

Psytrance written and synthesized entirely in Python. It uses no samples, DAW or plugins: numpy and scipy compute every kick, flute breath and drum stroke, and code chooses every note.

python3 make_song.py                       # Mycelium -> out/mycelium.wav + out/mycelium.mp3
python3 make_song.py --piece journey       # Journey  -> out/journey.wav + .mp3
python3 make_song.py --piece twisted       # Twisted  -> out/twisted.wav + .mp3
python3 make_song.py --piece follower      # Follower -> out/follower.wav + .mp3
python3 make_song.py --seed 9              # same story, every melodic and rhythmic decision rewritten
python3 make_song.py --air 0               # old fully dark top end, for A/B
python3 make_song.py --out out/mycelium_improved.wav  # keep an older render for comparison
python3 render.py --list                   # the 8-subgenre style engine

A full piece renders in roughly 15 to 35 seconds on a laptop.

Journey and Mycelium place every instrument on a stage: direction with interaural time and level cues, distance, early reflections of a modelled space, and a modulated FDN reverb. Kick and bass stay centred and dry. Notes are never repeated as identical copies, and the master is loudness-matched (LUFS). --air 0 renders the old fully dark top end for comparison. A full Mycelium render takes about 50 seconds. Compare two renders with python3 tools/compare.py out/mycelium_before.wav out/mycelium.wav. Run python3 -m unittest discover -s tools -p 'test_*.py' for focused audio checks. Use python3 tools/compare_audio.py out/mycelium.wav out/mycelium_improved.wav to measure existing renders and make equal-RMS listening previews.

Requirements

• Python 3.10 or newer (developed on 3.14)
• numpy and scipy
• ffmpeg, optional, for the MP3 copy
• matplotlib, optional, for the analysis tools in tools/

There is nothing to install beyond that. Run the scripts from the repository root.

The pieces

Piece	Length	Tempo	Character
Follower (psy/follower.py)	3:53	126 → 150 → 128 BPM	Scary night-forest piece. Your flute is answered from the dark, closer and more wrong each time. Heartbeat kick, phasing footsteps, endless Shepard wind. See docs/follower.md.
Mycelium (psy/mycelium.py, default)	4:00	132 → 145 → 134 BPM	Earthy psychedelic ceremony in 8 chapters, after Astrix's jungle-tribal full-on and Infected Mushroom's melodic writing. Hand drums in Middle-Eastern rhythms, oud, throat singing, ney flute, didgeridoo, "melting" pads.
Journey (psy/journey.py)	4:25	138 → 150 → 140 BPM	A through-composed psytrance tone poem in 9 chapters, temple to revelation and back. Ney flute, chant, tanpura, warm lead, rolling bass.
Twisted (psy/twisted.py)	3:48	147 BPM	Mandragora-inspired twisted full-on in a conventional section/drop structure, with a composed hook and a key change.
Style engine (render.py)	any	96 to 185 BPM	Pattern-based generator with presets for goa, full-on, progressive, dark psy, forest, hi-tech, zenonesque and psybient.

Chapter-by-chapter descriptions are in docs/pieces.md.

Documentation

Document	Contents
docs/pieces.md	Every piece: chapters, timestamps, keys, instruments, what to listen for
docs/architecture.md	How a render works: timeline, composition, layers, buses, mastering
docs/composition.md	The Journey engine: energy curve, orchestration, motif development, harmony, tempo
docs/instruments.md	Every synthesized instrument, its parameters and register
docs/dsp.md	The DSP library: oscillators, filters, effects, mastering
docs/sound-guide.md	The palette rules (what is banned and why) and mix targets
docs/howto.md	Write a new piece, add an instrument, analyze a render, fix common problems
docs/history.md	How the project evolved from listener feedback

Layout

make_song.py          render Mycelium, Journey or Twisted
render.py             render style-engine presets
psy/
  dsp.py              oscillators, filters, delay, reverb, chorus, melt, phaser, limiter
  instruments.py      every synthesized instrument
  theory.py           scales, chords, pattern generators (style engine)
  journey.py          the through-composed engine + the Journey piece
  mycelium.py         Mycelium (subclass of Journey)
  twisted.py          Twisted (standalone sectional engine)
  song.py, styles.py  the style engine and its 8 presets
tools/
  check_score.py      unique phrases and orchestration changes, no rendering
  check_journey.py    levels, flow, novelty and spectrogram for Journey/Mycelium
  check_song.py       the same for Twisted
  analyze.py          per-stem levels for style-engine presets
out/                  renders and analysis images