THE PERMUTATION SERIES (2023)
By Nate Tatem
The "Permutation" series, including "Permutation" and "Permutation 2: Temple of Revolving Doors," is a pair of conceptual albums that explore ambient looping, non-linear music through the lens of mathematical permutations. Unlike traditional albums that are meant to be experienced linearly—from start to finish in a set chronological sequence—the tracks on these albums are designed to be played in shuffle mode. Each track seamlessly transitions into any other, creating an ever-changing musical experience.
With every shuffle, the listener embarks on a new, unique experience, much like a randomly generated choose-your-own-adventure book. Whether you listen for minutes or hours, no two listens will ever be the same as the album unfolds differently each time.
One inspiration for the Permutation Series came from my fascination with the exponential growth of permutations. For instance, the first album has 16 tracks, but when played on shuffle, there are over 20 trillion unique sequences in which the album can be experienced—each track playing only once.
(16! = 20,922,789,888,000)
In "Permutation 2," I doubled the track count to 32, resulting in an unimaginable 263 undecillion possible listening paths.
(32! = 263,130,836,933,693,530,167,218,012,160,000,000)
These albums were also inspired by the desire to give listeners more agency in their listening experience through the power of non-linear music. Sometimes, I want to linger longer with a musical piece, and other times I just want to sample it. Both of these albums allow listeners to choose exactly how long they wish to engage, as they can stop at any point and begin again in a unique way.