Myoelectric Music

May 22, 2008 5:24 PM

Experimental artist Daito Manabe makes music with his muscles.

Here's a little collegiate demonstration (in English) of how to set something like this up.

posted by carsonb (5 comments total)

The gesture he chose to switch instruments is super win. Makes it look like he's going Super Saiyan.

Wouldn't it be really, amazingly difficult to keep a beat with this? Maybe if you attached the sensors to your legs instead, and only used your arms for solos. Although having to jog in place to keep the drums going might inhibit one's ability to rock out.
posted by LogicalDash at 7:35 PM on May 22, 2008

Music?
posted by kozad at 9:51 PM on May 22, 2008

Muscles?

Just kidding. I think something like this could be worked into an awesome bit of performance, something in the vein of Laurie Anderson's Home of the Brave. Certainly some potential there, I'd like to see what he does with it.
posted by lekvar at 10:40 PM on May 22, 2008

Wouldn't it be really, amazingly difficult to keep a beat with this?

Well, for what it's worth, I think Manabe runs beats through his computer, then uses the myoelectric system to build and riff on them. Then again, the crazy Stelarc guy claims he gets so into his performance that by the end he can consciously regulate his heartbeat and the bioelectromagnetic signals coursing through his body to manipulate his outrageous lights/sounds system, so...
posted by carsonb at 9:55 AM on May 23, 2008

Pamela Z has been performing using this technology for years. Her stuff is grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat!
posted by billtron at 10:16 AM on May 23, 2008 [1 favorite]