Global Frequencies : Microtuning & Techno
by Seba Kayan
Have you ever wondered why electronic music across the globe often share the same tuning system, why musical structure and notes follow the the same tonal patterns?
In my work as a DJ, lecturer, and music producer, I kept returning to this question. I wondered how I could integrate the scales and tonalities of my Kurdish heritage into the framework of electronic music production. That journey led me to microtuning—and to the realization that most music software, synthesizers, and even the way we think about sound are shaped by a specific system of tuning. A system that works beautifully in many contexts, but doesn’t always reflect the full range of global musical traditions.
This blog post is a short introduction to my Content that I also share in my Workshop “Decolonizing Electronic Music- The search of repressed possibilities.”
But don’t worry—it’s not about being technical. It’s about exploring other ways of hearing, opening up creativity, and celebrating sonic diversity.
Why Tuning?
Tuning might sound like a technical detail, but it’s actually deeply cultural. It affects which notes we recognize, which scales we hear as “normal,” and what kinds of melodies and harmonies we’re encouraged to create. Tuning systems are a reflection of history, geography, and identity.
Most digital music tools today—like Ableton, Logic, or standard MIDI keyboards—are built around 12-tone equal temperament, a tuning system that divides the octave into 12 equal steps. It’s elegant and efficient. But it’s just one way of organizing sound.
Across the world, many musical traditions use other systems of tuning. Arabic maqām, Indian rāgas, Persian dastgāh, Turkish makam, and many more rely on unequal divisions of the octave, often with 17, 19, 24, or even 53 notes. These aren’t “experimental” or obscure—they are rich, expressive systems that have evolved over centuries.
Microtuning gives us access to these traditions. It expands our toolkit. It allows for subtler emotions, more flexible melodies, and entirely new sonic textures.
At the last Sonic Territories Festival, where I held a workshop on microtuning and music production, I had the chance to perform with Tin Man, a music producer known for his acid techno work. Together, we traveled through different tunings, creating a set that explored unfamiliar tonalities and opened up new listening experiences.
Rethinking "Universal" Music Theory
Music is often described as a “universal language.” But in reality, music is shaped by culture, experience, and tradition. And the music theory we most often encounter—whether online or in school—tends to reflect a particular historical and regional view: that of Western Europe.
There’s nothing wrong with that perspective. But it’s not the only one. And by opening ourselves to other musical logics and tuning systems, we can deepen our understanding and enrich our creative process.
This is not about replacing one system with another. It’s about adding more colors to the palette.
Is Music Tech Truly Inclusive?
We often hear that music technology has “democratized” creativity—that anyone can make music now. And in many ways, that’s true. Tools are more accessible. Distribution is more open. But at the same time, we need to ask:
Are these tools designed with global musical diversity in mind?
Take MIDI, for example. In the 1980s, it was created to let digital instruments communicate. In 1992, composer Robert Rich successfully pushed to include the MIDI Tuning Standard (MTS), allowing for all kinds of alternative tunings—including those used in traditional and experimental music worldwide.
MTS allows for incredibly precise and flexible tuning—real-time changes, non-octave scales, and more. But most software and instruments still don’t support it widely. Not because it's not useful—but perhaps because many assume that 12-tone equal temperament is “enough” and “practical”.
Bringing Microtuning Into Techno
As a DJ and producer, I’m especially inspired by what happens when microtuning meets techno.When I use microtuned scales in my sets or productions, the music shifts. There’s a kind of memory in the sound—emotional and for me personally moving.
In this video, I’m performing together with the incredible oud player Orwa Saleh as part of the SoloTogether series at ORF RadioKulturhaus in Vienna.
This collaboration brought together two very different sound worlds—my background in electronic music and club culture, and Orwa’s deep roots in traditional Middle Eastern music. Through live improvisation and the use of microtuning, we explored the spaces between rhythm and resonance, tradition and experimentation.
Final Thoughts
This isn’t about dividing music into East and West. It’s about bridging. About making space for more voices, more stories, more ways of hearing and feeling.
Music is not a single story. And tuning is not just a technical setting—it’s a creative choice. A cultural lens. A key to new (repressed) possibilities.
xoxo
Seba