Dich // Bloom

A single-file audiovisual instrument built in plain HTML, Canvas 2D, and Web Audio.

Open dich.html in a modern browser and interact with the world using the cursor and the left mouse button. There is no visible HUD and no on-screen control panel. The piece is meant to be discovered through play.

Core Idea

dich is an interactive constellation of sound nodes.

Each run generates a different world:

• a different instrument profile
• a different scale and key center
• different mutation ranges and combo windows
• different physics warps
• different available cursor modes
• different genetic makeup for every node

The run evolves while you play. The main hidden objective is:

activate as many triangles as possible

Triangles are the main driver of world evolution.

Controls

Shortcuts are based on physical key codes, not typed characters, so they work across keyboard layouts.

• R — reroll the world
• M — mute / unmute
• F — fullscreen
• Space — pause / resume

Mouse:

• Move cursor — interact with nodes, edges, and triangles
• LMB down — switch into grip interaction mode
• LMB up — release stored grip force

Interaction Model

The world has three interactive layers:

1. Node interaction

When the cursor touches a node, it plays the node's genetic percussion.

Every node has its own DNA, so node hits are not simple repeated samples. A node can behave like a click, tom, hat, snap, FM hit, filtered noise, metallic ring, grain burst, pluck, or breath depending on its genes.

2. Edge interaction

When the cursor crosses an edge, the sound is created from the combined genes of the two connected nodes.

This usually behaves like a pluck, string, ping, or hybrid struck tone.

3. Triangle interaction

When the cursor enters a triangle, the sound is created from the combined genes of all three triangle nodes.

Triangles are the most important structure in the piece. They produce low-register, bass-like, or chordal sounds and they drive run evolution.

Two Cursor Contact States

The system distinguishes between two kinds of contact:

Touch

When LMB is not pressed:

• node contact triggers genetic percussion
• edge contact triggers two-node crossover sound
• triangle contact triggers three-node crossover sound
• triangle activation evolves the world
• the world may grow by spawning new nodes near the activated triangle
• triangle activations raise the run's evolution level and help unlock more modes and events

Grip

When LMB is pressed:

• interactions become heavier, denser, and more forceful
• node, edge, and triangle sounds use stronger “grip” variants
• triangle contact no longer evolves the world directly
• instead, triangles charge stored force
• the grip charge is shown by a ciliary force indicator around the cursor
• orbiting satellites are shown with visible tethers and orbital halos

Satellite Mechanic

If you stay on a node long enough while gripping it, the node can become a satellite.

A satellite:

• detaches from ordinary drift behavior
• starts orbiting the cursor-player
• stays outside the ordinary world graph while attached
• remains visually active and genetically alive

Satellites remain attached while grip force is being accumulated.

When the stored grip force is released, satellites:

• detach from the cursor
• fly outward with burst velocity
• flash and scatter back into the world

Grip Release

When LMB is released after charging triangles:

• stored force is released at the cursor position
• one or more activation ripples expand through the world
• ripples activate nodes they pass through
• activated nodes emit sound and visual response
• attached satellites detach and scatter outward at the same moment

This creates a delayed, player-centered chain reaction.

Genetic Audio System

Every node is born with a small gene set. Genes influence sound identity and crossover behavior.

Current gene traits include:

• wave1, wave2
• octave
• detune
• attack, decay
• filterType
• filterFreq, filterQ
• modDepth, modRatio
• harmonics
• noiseAmt
• pitchEnv
• percStyle
• scaleDegree
• brightness — filter intensity and high-frequency content
• spread — stereo detune and harmonic width
• articulation — attack sharpness and transient character

Gene crossover

• Node = single-node genetic percussion
• Edge = crossover of 2 node genes
• Triangle = crossover of 3 node genes

Gene crossover changes waveform choice, pitch register, filter shape, modulation, harmonic density, and noise character.

World Structure Rules

Nodes

The world usually maintains roughly 18 to 56 active nodes, depending on the current run and evolution state.

Edges

Edges are not fully dense. The graph is intentionally constrained.

Rules:

• each node can keep at most 3 edges
• edges have hysteresis: once formed, they can persist slightly longer before breaking
• this makes the graph more readable and more stable musically

Triangles

A triangle is considered valid only when:

• all three edges are actually visible in the current graph
• its area passes the minimum threshold
• every angle is at least 20°

This means hidden or ghost triangles are not allowed. If one side is not visible, the triangle is not interactive.

Evolution and Roguelike Structure

Each run has its own evolving state.

Run systems

A run tracks:

• unique particles touched
• unique edges crossed
• unique triangles activated
• unique combo discoveries
• total trigger count
• burst meter
• tier progression
• mutation events
• available cursor modes for the current run

Triangle-driven evolution

Triangles are the main engine of progression.

Activating triangles through normal touch:

• increases evolution pressure
• can grow the world by adding nodes
• advances run progression
• helps unlock new cursor modes during the run
• feeds tier growth more strongly than ordinary particle or edge interaction

Run tiers

The run has progression tiers. Higher tiers intensify the piece and expand what is available during that run.

Mutations

Runs can produce temporary world mutations such as:

• gravity inversion
• speed surges
• slow-motion states
• denser or sparser populations
• wetter or drier worlds
• stronger orbit / drift / flash states
• scale shifts
• gene storms

Rare events

Runs can also trigger rarer world events that may reshuffle genes, colors, scale, or instrument identity.

Cursor Modes

The cursor evolves alongside the world. Mode is determined by progression level and run tier:

• Repel — starting mode
• Attract — unlocks at evolution level 0.22 (Genesis → Drift)
• Orbit — unlocks at evolution level 0.46 (Drift → Bloom)
• Stir — unlocks at evolution level 0.7 (Bloom → Ascension)
• Vortex — unlocks at evolution level 0.92 (Ascension → Singularity)
• Scatter — unlocks at tier 3 (Resonant)
• Gravity — unlocks at tier 4 (Architect)
• Pulse — unlocks at tier 5 (Ascended)

The cursor mode changes automatically as the run deepens. Not all modes are necessarily available in every run — some are rolled at world generation.

Combo Layer

The piece includes hidden interaction combos with randomized windows and thresholds.

Known combo families include:

• line-cross pluck
• triangle bass pulse
• siege
• chain
• prism
• rake
• halo
• echo
• gate
• crown
• weave
• monolith
• relic
• bloomlock

These are still hidden mechanics, but their state is hinted visually through the interactive field rather than through UI text.

Visual Language

The background is intentionally restrained.

Background

Only two persistent background layers are kept:

• stars
• aurora / rainbow bands

The background no longer contains extra fake graph elements that could be confused with interactive nodes or edges.

Interactive visuals

Interactive layers include:

• glowing particles
• constrained edges
• triangle fills and outlines
• frozen triangle afterimages
• ripples
• sparks and spark trails
• cursor aura
• ciliary grip-force indicator
• satellite nodes orbiting the cursor

Bloom

Bloom is audio-reactive.

When there is no sound, bloom can decay all the way to zero. When the player produces sound, bloom rises from interaction energy rather than existing as a permanent ambient glow.

Audio Priorities

The system is built so that direct player interaction has priority over decorative sound.

Audio management includes:

• priority-based budgeting
• dynamic throttling for low-priority layers
• shared effect buses
• compression on the master chain
• brick-wall limiter for clipping protection
• per-kind loudness normalization with activity ducking
• velocity-sensitive articulation based on cursor speed
• reduced ambient interference during active play

User-driven sounds are favored over decorative or ambient activity.

Instrument Profiles and Scales

The world rolls a weighted instrument profile per run.

Current profiles include common and rare identities such as:

• Aether Bloom
• Dust Percussion
• Glass Flora
• Neon Reed
• Velvet FM
• Bronze Circuit
• Xeno Koto
• Void Organ
• Mercury Bells
• Obsidian Choir
• Silk Thread
• Iron Garden

The scale library includes 11 modes/scales, including both familiar and more exotic options.

Technical Characteristics

• single file: dich.html
• no external dependencies
• Canvas 2D rendering
• Web Audio synthesis only
• additive blend-heavy visual style
• physically keyed shortcuts via KeyboardEvent.code
• performance-oriented graph building and event trimming

What the Player Is Really Doing

The piece is not a passive music toy. It behaves more like a run-based instrument-world.

The player is:

• exploring a random sound ecology
• discovering how nodes combine genetically
• learning how to build and trigger triangles
• deciding when to evolve the world and when to store force instead
• collecting satellites while gripping
• releasing shockwaves at meaningful moments
• pushing the run deeper into mutation and complexity

In short:

touch triangles to evolve the world

hold triangles to charge force

capture satellites during grip

release to detonate the stored structure back into the field