Music Tech Fest is back, bigger and more exciting than ever - taking place in Stockholm in partnership with KTH Royal Institute of Technology. With Creative Labs, Performances, Demos, in Conversations and Family activities, there’s something for everyone at this festival of innovation and experimentation, including Imogen Heap launching her Mycelia World Tour, work from Scanner, Robyn, Lula Mebrahtu and more. Tickets for the public days 7-9 September are available from the Music Tech Fest website.
WITCiH at The Barge House, London N1 4/10/17
Artist Gabrielle Chudi writes about the GALVANISE young people’s music tech day that took place in London on 5th July. Video and pics by Richard Costa.
A mystery tour of experimental electronics in Denmark
The great Music Hackspace has announced an exciting new seminar series called ‘We Move’ featuring the work of creative technology experts who are women and gender minorities, and it starts on 22nd February, IRL and online.
New festival We Are Robots presents an amazing line-up at the Old Truman Brewery in London from 2-5 November. Focusing on the ‘future and innovation of music’ it features performances, installations, workshops, discussions, technology, and an industry conference, and includes leading names and exciting newcomers, with Daniel Miller DJ-ing at the after party. Tickets to the main exhibition are free, with performance, panels and workshop tickets available separately.
Teenage Engineering unveiled some exciting new gear at NAMM 2017 - I talked to them about their new video synth the OP-Z, and also the latest Pocket Operator, the PO-32 tonic.
BISHI, the acclaimed musician and composer, and founder of WITCiH, is presenting an exciting Voice Masterclass, featuring Live Looping and the MINI.MU gloves, on 16th February 2019. We’ve info and also a bursary offer!
SESH is a game-changing app that’s a peer-to-peer music production market place. It lets you find recording studios, rehearsal space, gear rentals and talent for hire. Portrait XO talks to Roxertronica - fashion designer / stylist / DJ / CMO and Co-Founder of the new app.
Roland had some great new gear on show at NAMM - I talked to David Ahlund in depth about the SYSTEM-8 and the DJ-808.
The first WITCiH festival is an absolute ‘don’t miss’ and takes place in London 26-28th September featuring electrifying female and non-binary artists. WITCiH - The State of Gender? hosts four audio-visual premieres and includes a lecture from Gazelle Twin who has just released thrilling new album Pastoral.
Tickets for the event at The Barge House in Dalston are available here
What does a Sound Engineer do, especially when working in a historic Gothic masterpiece? Ahead of the ReBalance International Women’s Day music industry meet up and live show on 8th March at Union Chapel you can find out with this interview the award-winning music venue has done with Isabella Di Biase. She’s a great sound engineer we’ve seen in action at many gigs including Nasty Women UK festival.
Bishi’s incredible WITCiH Summer Salons are a magnet for talented innovators, and the June edition was a classic, with amazing insights from Imogen Heap, Bishi and Rachel Wingfield from Loop.pH. The next salon is on Wednesday 12th July at The Barge House in London with Rebekah Ubuntu, Jenn Kirby, Bishi and Kat Five.
Key quotes from artists and innovators in 2017
There’s change afoot. Across Europe. Keychange has started something and it’s going to change the music industry from top to bottom. You can’t face this level of female talent and tell me that the future isn’t gender parity.
Tara Pattenden is an artist and instrument maker based in Glasgow, who performs as Phantom Chips and ran a special workshop at the V&A to go with the museum’s Pink Floyd exhibition ‘Their Mortal Remains’.