In tune: Mundane materials make music at Futuresonic

Manchester – A new project by the Royal College of Art in collaboration with Yamaha focuses on creating electronic music from household objects and everyday chores. ‘Making Fun Serious’ will premiere alongside forward-thinking projects in the fields of electronic art, music, performance and design at Futuresonic, the UK’s leading festival for digital culture.

The designs exhibited give familiar domestic items and tasks a playful and creative twist. These include Azusa Murakami’s ‘Knitting Scanner’, which translates knitted patterns into music; Benjamin Newland’s ‘Chromophone’, which samples colours and converts them into musical notes played on a built-in speaker; and Vahakn Matossian’s ‘Furniture for Musical Humans’, an audio-processing lounge chair that includes a joystick, microphone and sound horns that users manipulate to transform their voice. Everyday chores never sounded so good.

‘Making Fun Serious’ will be on display as part of the Futuresonic festival at CUBE from 13–16 May.