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Spectralism emerged from the union of acoustics and composition. Composers used computer analysis (e.g., of a low trombone note in "Partiels") to see the "DNA" of sound — its overtone series. These micro-frequencies were then distributed among the orchestra instruments.

The live ensemble began to sound like a giant synthesizer, creating shimmering, "breathing" sonorities. In this music, the boundary between chord and timbre is erased — it is a single sonic matter, smoothly changing its color over time.