Positron Emission
By Disposable Planet on February 20, 2026 6:01 pm
Back for more melodic LSDJ? This week, in keeping with the elementary particle theme, we are doing the positron, which is a fermion. Positrons are actually antimatter! That means they are the opposite counterpart of ordinary matter. The positron is an anti-electron, which means it has a positive charge as opposed to the negative charge that electrons normally have. Positronic antimatter is used in various real world applications like medical imaging and materials research to observe and image the insides of objects without having to cut or crack them open. There is a type of medical scan called a PET scan (PET stands for Positron Emission Tomography) which is a fascinating process in which a radioactive nuclide is injected into the human bloodstream. Over time, the circulatory system spreads it throughout the body via blood flow, and after a period the substance decays which creates anti electrons via a process known as positron emission. The positrons or anti electrons collide with the electrons in the chemical bonds in the molecules of your body and tissue and annihilate each other (which is what happens when matter and antimatter collide). This annihilation produces gamma radiation which is detectable by an imaging sensor. This allows a medical technician to create a detailed 3D image of your body's blood flow and metabolic processes. The only reason I know this is because my mom had a PET scan when she was battling cancer and so I read as much as I could about it. I told the radiologist that I was gonna have a t-shirt made for my mom before the scan that said "Don't Worry Mom - It's Only Antimatter!".
Since positrons have a positive charge I wanted this song to focus on positive vibes. So it's a cheerful little number with a lot of different parts most of which are happy and mellow. I'm especially proud of the bridge section, which is in a mixolydian mode. There are some hard panned arps as per usual and some counterpoint sections where I introduce a secondary melody that harmonizes the lead. There is a big influence on this track from the jam band Phish. I’ve always loved that band and their melodic style so it kinda rubbed off on me.
This marks 6 tracks done on the new album. 4 to go! The particles I have left that I've chosen to make tunes for are the gluon, the quark, and the muon. Plus there will be a track about fermions in general to counterbalance the song dedicated to bosons.
As always, thanks for listening!
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