The Dial: Exploring Computational Strangeness

This paper describes the process of a computational idea emerging from a process of user engagement: algorithmic recommendations as artistic obstructions in creative work. Through a collaboration between HCI and Music Information Retrieval, we conducted open-ended interviews with professional makers of Electronic Dance Music. We describe how the idea emerged from this process, and consider how algorithmic recommendation systems could be re-considered as tools for artistic inspiration. We propose the concept of a "Strangeness Dial," which allows the gradual adjustment of the degree of desired otherness, which is tested through the use of a non-functional prop and a series of interviews.