The performances are not the voices of the human singers-instead, they are generalized versions of opera singers based on training. And to that end, each of the four blobs performs one of four singing voice ranges: tenor, bass, mezzo-soprano and soprano. The blobs have been programmed to replicate the style of opera singers by training them with operas sung by real singers: Christian Joel, Frederick Tong, Joanna Gamble and Olivia Doutney. They sing upright next to one another, as if a small choir. The blobs are colorful armless and legless creatures with mouths, eyes and Santa hats. blob Opera then puts them all together (in melodies and harmonies) into a composition and the blobs perform it.

Programming is done by dragging sliders for each of the blobs for different parts of the score. Users can program four singing blobs with assistance from a behind-the-scenes machine learning algorithm. The app is available on Google's Arts & Culture, EXPERIMENTS page.

The idea, Freya Murray, program manager for Google Arts & Culture suggests, is to explore what she describes as humanity's first instrument-the voice.

Blob opera game online