{"id":46820691,"title":"Show HN: ÆTHRA – Writing Music as Code","points":2,"user":"CzaxTanmay","time":1769749177,"time_ago":"2 hours ago","type":"link","content":"

Hi HN

I’m building ÆTHRA — a programming language designed specifically for composing music and emotional soundscapes.

Instead of focusing on general-purpose programming, ÆTHRA is a pure DSL where code directly represents musical intent: tempo, mood, chords, progression, dynamics, and instruments.

The goal is to make music composition feel closer to writing a story or emotion, rather than manipulating low-level audio APIs.

Key ideas:\n- Text-based music composition\n- Chords and progressions as first-class concepts\n- Time, tempo, and structure handled by the language\n- Designed for ambient, cinematic, emotional, and minimal music\n- Interpreter written in C# (.NET)

Example ÆTHRA code (simplified):

tempo 60\ninstrument guitar

chord Am for 4\nchord F for 4\nchord C for 4\nchord G for 4

This generates a slow, melancholic progression suitable for ambient or cinematic scenes.

ÆTHRA currently:\n- Generates WAV audio\n- Supports notes, chords, tempo, duration, velocity\n- Uses a simple interpreter (no external DAWs or MIDI tools)\n- Is intentionally minimal and readable

What it is NOT:\n- Not a DAW replacement\n- Not MIDI-focused

Why I made it:\nI wanted a language where music is the primary output — not an afterthought. Something between code, emotion, and sound design.

The project is open-source and early-stage (v0.8). I’m mainly looking for:\n- Feedback on the language design\n- Ideas for musical features worth adding\n- Thoughts from people into PL design, audio, or generative art

Repo: <https://github.com/TanmayCzax/AETHRA>

Thanks for reading — happy to answer questions or discuss ideas.","url":"item?id=46820691","comments":[],"comments_count":0}