MI.MU Gloves, Imogen Heap (2010) [music, art]
A gestural music system
Music is about sound which is about movement; tiny waves of participles moving through space. When I listen to music, or observe those making or performing it, it’s all very visceral. When it comes to electronic music, though, it comes down to keys and nobs. Something doesn’t feel as authentic, as true to the craft, to turn dials as it does to walk fingers up and down a bass guitar. Imogen Heap (singer of “Hide and Seek”), set out to change that.
Starting in 2010, she worked with a team of musicians and engineers to create a “gestural music system” in the form of MI.MU Gloves.
“I was hankering so much to be able to reach the software on my computer without having to stand next to it and look like I’m doing my emails when I’m doing my music.”
The gloves are covered in sensors and a movement or orientation is programmed to trigger a sound or effect. Imagine that a flick of the wrist makes a whoosh noise or that a slow panning down of the hand fades the music out. Or, just watch this video on tiny desk (start at 9:19).
Oh, and the vision for the software is that everything will be open-sourced.
More to buzz about:
Imogen Heap’s TEDX talk
Ariana Grande performing with the gloves in 2015