The Instruments Of Change: Expressive Machines Musical Instruments

Without the tools to create, where would we be? Listening to the sound of one hand clapping, probably. In this column we’ll be looking at people who invent their own tools—be they musical, artistic, photographic—any sort of bespoke equipment from innovative builders of all disciplines and ages in a celebration of the fine art of invention. This week: EMMI

Everyone loves musical robots it seems. There’s Bjork, who is currently touring with some custom-designed bots for her Biophilia project, there’s the robot band The Bit-52s, and there’s also Troy Rogers, Scott Barton, and Steven Kemper, who created three mechanoid instruments using applied their knowledge of robotics and acoustics. Collectively known as Expressive Machines Musical Instruments (EMMI), they are seeking to unite art and science, man and robot. Positing a future where man and machine can play music side-by-side, jamming together in harmony to produce the blissful sounds of man/machine unity. But a noisy kind of unity, the sort that Luigi Russolo might’ve been into.

So, beware: machine music has arrived (and these bots don’t care if you torrent their new album because that machine you’re using to download it, that’s their uncle). Next time you go to a concert, take a real close look at the drummer, because if it isn’t Animal from The Muppets making all that racket, it might be one of these:

PAM: Poly-tangent Automatic (multi-)Monochord PAM is a string instrument with “fingers” that pluck at the two strings and control the pitch. It receives data via a computer (or MIDI keyboards, photoresistors, algorithms) and sounds like the above, which is kind of manic and somewhat upsetting. But don’t fear, because it can also do a rocking solo as witnessed below.

MADI: Multi-mallet Automatic Drumming Instrument You’ve got your guitar, or a robotic approximation of it, but any band worth their roadies needs a drummer. Step up MADI, the mechanised snare with 15 different strikers made from materials that include plastic, rubber, felt, and brushes.

CADI: Configurable Automatic Drumming Instrument You could have a two-piece band (if you’re following in the footsteps of The White Stripes) but chances are you’ll need one more member to conquer the world and have fans screaming so loud you can’t even hear yourself play. Sure you could go for a human, but where’s the sense of adventure in that? No, you want a “modular system of solenoid-driven strikers that can be configured to beat on any object.” Just think, its rider will be much more manageable than Tommy Lee’s.

If you’re wondering what this robotic band sounds like playing together, here’s PAM and MADI performing as a unit at the New Interfaces for Musical Expression conference at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh. People were concerned when Bob Dylan went electric, but wait until he goes robotic.