“Ethno Tekh” is born

I’ve recently teamed up with visual artist and programmer Brad Hammond (XY01) for our project Ethno Tekh. We’ve been slamming it hard and since we’ve teamed up in early August we’ve already had our first public interactive installation ‘public override Trichild()‘, which was a great success, as well as our first performance to an audience of over 3000 people at Microsoft’s TechEd 2012.

We’re focusing on real-time, interactive and generative digital artworks; as well as larger-than-life and futuristic bass music A/V performances, all performed completely live using motion capture and audio-reactive visuals.

Video of the TechEd performance coming soon, but for now, there’s these couple of photo. But head to the Ethno Tekh Facebook page to keep updated on the project. We’ve got some interesting stuff coming up.

Here’s a video from our debut interactive installation ‘public override Trichild()’:

Motion-capture Music Live Set Demo @ Ultralounge 2012

Although I’ve spent literally the entire last 14 months of my life on making and performing motion capture music, with around live 30 performances I only just realised there’s very little footage online.

I’m currently in the process of updating my whole live performance system, so I most likely won’t be performing for at least a few weeks, so here’s an except of a performance I did earlier on in the year with my Kinect/foot pedal setup.

Interview in The Age newspaper

I forgot to post this last month, but I was over in Seattle and forgot about it when I got home. A few weeks ago I was featured Australia-wide on printed newspapers and on their subsequent online services with both a written and video interview.

You can check out the interview here.

Demonstration at the Seattle Science Festival

It’s been a while since I’ve last posted as I’ve had a busy time with a lot of cool stuff coming up! As a massive highlight to my year, I’ve been given the honor of being invited to the US to demonstrate my Kinect system at the Seattle Science Festival. My performance is on this coming Saturday (9th) for the Hacker’s Luminary show.

I’ll be in Seattle for a week before heading home, so make sure you say hi if you’re in the area!

My next Synaecide performance @ Mister Mode fashion market (28th April 2012)

Yo dude peeps. I’m venturing into the world of fashion and gonna be slammin some beats and bass during my live performance at an upcoming event this Saturday (28/04/12) – Mister Mode Fashion Market. This is a great event to come and check out my work if you’re not into the club thing and even better if you’re the kind of person to wear clothes. I’m on at 8pm!

Carpe Zythum – Kinect controlled pipe organ (full performance)

“Carpe Zythum”, a performance with Elise Richards (Vocals) and Chris Vik (myself controlling the organ with the Kinect) along with a pre-composed piece written by both Elise and I. It was performed in November 2011 at the Melbourne Town Hall. This is the full video of the performance. If you’d like to see a video explaining how it works see last weeks video Controlling a 4-story organ with the Kinect

I’ve created my own software Kinectar, which allows the use of the Kinect to control MIDI devices, ie. playing notes through simple gestures and motion – I hooked this up to the organ.

For more information on my gesture-based music projects, see my blog I love the Future
Video produced by Unkle Nicnac Films

Controlling a 4-story pipe organ with the Kinect

In this video I briefly explain and demonstrate how I used the Kinect to control the massive Melbourne Town Hall Organ. It contains a short excerpt from our performance “Carpe Zythum” November 2011.

I’ve created my own software Kinectar, which allows the use of the Kinect to control MIDI devices, ie. playing notes through simple gestures and motion. The Melbourne Town Hall Organ got a referb in the late 90s adding the ability of MIDI messages to active the notes… this happened.

The company that provided the control system to allow the organ to be played via MIDI are Solid State Organ System.

Co-composition and Kinect performance and programming by Chris Vik
Co-composition, lyrics and vocals by Elise Richards

Video produced by Unkle Nicnac Films

Full performance out next week!

Kinectar Performance/Talk @ Transition (BeatEngines) [24/02/12] Melb, Aus

I’m doing a short Kinect electronic music set at Transitions (BeatEngines) next Friday [24/02/12] @ Royal Melbourne Hotel. I’ll be following up the set with a short talk/demonstration of my software “Kinectar”, where you’ll see the nitty-gritty of how I go about putting instruments together using the Kinect as a MIDI controller.

It’s free from 9pm until 10pm (when the psy starts), I’ll slot somewhere in that time-frame, so be sure to get there by 9pm if you want to catch my demo! There’s heaps of other stuff going on that’s definentely worth checking out, check out the facebook page for more details: http://www.facebook.com/events/213576515398677/

Kinectar/dance collab development (Sydney)

I’m currently up in Sydney working on a collaborative project with Sydney dancer Paul Walker at a week-long residency at PACT theatre.

We’re attempting to reverse the idea of dance being TO music, instead putting the power in the dancer’s hands (oh, that’s such a tag line right there), creating a feedback loop where the dancer is dancing to the music they’re creating by dancing (awesome!!)

The project aims to build up an array of content using my software, Kinectar, in the context of contemporary dance; continuing my goal of discovering new ways to use the human body as an organic music controller.

We have a showing at PACT theatre this Friday (17/02/12) @ 5.30pm. It will be a short, informal viewing, demonstrating the content we’ve been developing during the week and a session to ask us questions or give feedback about the development. So if you’re in Sydney, head down and say hi!

Kinect vs. Melbourne Town Hall Organ show 13/11/11 (Melb, Aus)

Once again, I’ve been challenged to use my Kinect system to control a massively over-sized instrument. And they just keep getting bigger…

The Melbourne Town Hall Organ is the next on the agenda, in another opportunity through RMIT’s Fine Art Sound course. This beast has been retro-fitted to accept MIDI, just how I like it.

Come down and watch another world first of Kinect controllerism, where I use my soon to be released Kinect system (KiNECTAR) to play this organ using my hand gestures. The organ has kilometers of piping, looms 4-stories over the audience and has the power of over a thousand panthers.

The piece I’ll be performing has been co-written by myself and Elise Richards, who’s also gracing us with her angelic vocal talents. Featuring poetry and operatic wailing… the story is a Greek tragedy of my favorite topic…. BEER!!!

This performance will be recorded in full HD video and superb Ambisonic audio and will be on YouTube for those that miss out. Stay tuned.