The beauty of mechanics seems to have conquered the minds of a number of new media artists. The electronic music scene, often blamed for being “static” in its prevalent use of machines with knobs and buttons has created some extraordinary mechanics through its more art-inclined composers. “XOXX Composer” by Axel Bluhme is an eminent example. He has created a formal drum machine through a few spinning wheels on a structure. This “sound arranger” uses magnets to activate sound samples, which can be even sampled from the surroundings. Each of the eight rotating discs can set its own patterns. The craft element in this machine, rendered as almost purely mechanical, is crucial for its functioning. And its physical interface pushes the significance and ability of gestures. It’s a machine for composers but its handcrafted spinning wheels (vertically vs. horizontally by DJs) are directly related to the manipulation of music and to its most playful and physical relationship.

 

Drum Machine – XOXX Composer