For those in the comments just wanting a quick rundown:

Python3 based programming language for "golfing" (I had to double check it was code golfing, there's probably actual golf scorekeeping or course design DSLs by now).

I'll never hate on esoteric programming language concepts, even with minimal usecase. A brainfuck compiler was the second I ever installed, after a borland C++ IDE student license at age 15. But I don't see much use case, or even justification. Code golfing by macro-ing common math operations in python is nifty - and like many projects, inevitable in the "infinite monkeys with typewriters" sense, but altogether not that interesting. I guess it's in the OG spirit of HN, high concept nerd shit only programmers care about, but if someone beat my python code golf submission only because they used some obscure Unicode character that I don't know how to type that combines 3 math operations into one, I'd mentally call them a try-hard and move on with my life.

edit: but I'm also a hypocrite because I've been obsessed with Lisp (mostly just R7RS scheme) for the past year and what is that other than over-macro-ing your code

Seems then you'll probably dislike apl - here's the full implementation of Conway's Game of Life in 53 characters:

    life ← {⊃1 ⍵ ∨.∧ 3 4 = +/ +⌿ ¯1 0 1 ∘.⊖ ¯1 0 1 ⌽¨ ⊂⍵}
And the explanatory video behind it (quite approachable!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9xAKttWgP4

I've always wondered about code like this and what inspires people to write it. How is this any different from just directly writing machine code?

Or is this the exact opposite, operating at the highest level of abstraction?

One of the most memorable and interesting things I've ever seen on HN was an AMA from the creator of the Co-dfns parallel APL compiler. Here is co-dfns [0] and the AMA by the creator [1]. The video may give you some insight and at the very least may be extremely interesting to hear the APL code explained (jump to around 13:30 for the beginning of the explanation behind the structure + what the compiler is doing). He explains it very well - it's quite easy to follow along.

[0] https://github.com/Co-dfns/Co-dfns

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcUWTa16Jc0