Let's dance into the world we want to live in!

I woke up early this morning for a final run through of my set for tonight’s show at Dublin Castle Camden. People often post that they’re excited to be performing a show, but honestly this is one that I am seriously excited about, mostly for personal reasons. I spent 5 years doing a PhD on designing large digital musical instruments to understand how instrument size impacts music. Since then I’ve spent 3 years trying to design a portable, eco-friendly large instrument that I can use onstage for performing my weirdo electronic pop/dance music. Tonight’s show is the first time I feel that I have achieved that goal.

Sneaky preview video from my rehearsal

For years I’ve said “let’s dance into the world we want to live in”. I tweeted it sometime around 2010 back when Twitter was useful. But tonight might be the first time I’m consciously dancing into a world I want to live in. I want to live in a world with eco-friendly digital musical instruments. I want them to look unique and colourful and be fun to play and put us in a good mood. And when I play them I want to make music that’s never been made before and I want to improvise with chaos and unpredictability. Today is my final day working at ICMP where I’ve worked at for 6 years. I’m about to move to Belfast to join SARC (London friends I’ll still be spending a lot of time in London so don’t miss me til ya miss me!). My show tonight is a sonic meditation calling into existence the world I want to live in. Let’s dance into it together. Please join me!

Visitors playing Soft Cymatics at Digital Meet-Ups, V&A Museum

Thanks to all who came to Digital Meetups: Sound Systems on 17th of July at the V&A Museum (pics below). I had so many great chats with folks about Soft Cymatics. If you want to see this instrument again at the V&A, I’ll be at Digital Design Weekend 18-20 September where I’m also leading two e-textiles workshops so you can learn how it is made. It’s a free, family-friendly event. See ya there or tonight. XO Lia