Experimental Composition Techniques and Tools
Esoteric Sensationalism is dedicated to the exploration of random processes and experimentation in creative writing and music composition. Randomness has long been identified as a source of inspiration - not only for authors of fiction, poetry, music and visual art, but also for businesspeople, scientists or creative thinkers of any type. Techniques such as "cut-up", "collage", "cut 'n' mix" and "mashup" are all based on a process of recombining previously unrelated words, sounds or images. In business, this process is often referred to as "lateral thinking" - a way to derail the train of thought from it's linear, predictable route into more uncharted, creative territories. The theory section of this site explores the rationale behind the uses of randomness and other forms of experimentation for the purpose of creative inspiration.

Online Fiction, Poetry and Interactive Wordplay


A Cut-up Life
An embarassingly intimate recounting of the dismal lives of deluded counterculture wannabes as they consume 50 pounds of potatoes and churn out increasingly eccentric and fanciful cut-up rants on a communal electric typewriter.

myransomnote.com

A survey of online ransom note generators.


Creative Writing with Cut'n'Mix

Cut'n'Mix for Mac OS X



Read Esoteric Sensationalism's:
How To Be A Postmodern Writer
FSMXL: The Invisible Throne of Gold
Dec. 2008 News: Esoteric Sensationalism site creator C.P.Bryan releases a new CD of audio compositions entitled FSMXL: Invisible Throne of Gold. On "Invisible Throne..." experimental audio artist C.P.Bryan cut 'n' mixes his way through music genres including Jazz, Industrial, Heavy Metal, Techno and Dub Reggae. Vocals, melodies and rhythms are warped out of context and mashed together again in dense repeating layers. This is audio collage, postmodern Gestaltenmusic heavily influenced by the cut-up method of William Burroughs and the audio looping composition methodology of Steve Reich.

Preview "Invisible Throne..." tracks on the FSMXL page @ CD Baby.com
(Individual tracks from the album are available through Apple iTunes)

More Interactive Tools for Your Edification and Amusement...
Esoteric Sensationalism has assembled a collection of unique online and downloadable applications. The common theme here is "Language Arts" and how computer programming can add new dimensions of interactivity to reading, writing and understanding texts and poetry. For online "magnetic poetry" try the virtual paper and scissors style Cut-up Laboratory. To automatically generate rhyming poetry or song lyrics with a predefined rhythmic structure, start the ROBOPOEM poetry robot. To write prose and poetry to astound, confuse and impress the groundlings, try Shakespeare's Brain. Readymadecom offers unique domain names derived from random processes. To read cut-up texts submitted by Cut 'n' Mix users and other visitors to this site, check out the texts page. For links to related tools and information on other websites, open the links page. Address all comments and enquiries about Esoteric Sensationalism to info@cutnmix.com.