From the US and Australia to Tokyo, Israel, and Berlin, musicians and DJs used the Leap Motion Controller to tweak and transform music in a whole new way. By reaching above the device in studios, concert halls, and dance clubs, they were able to interact directly with music streams and create whole new sounds. Just in time for the New Year, here are the top six Leap Motion music videos of 2013.
Two-Handed Live Orchestra
Can one person play an entire live orchestra with only two hands? Using GecoMIDI, Hagai Davidoff – an Israeli film and theater composer, producer, and arranger – was able to dynamically control the flow of a full classical ensemble through natural hand and finger movements.
Classical Piano Reimagined
Yehezkel Raz is a classically trained musician with a passion for electronic music. Over the last 10 years, he’s been experimenting with new ways to integrate the piano with live electronic instruments and computers. During a live piano performance in September, he collaborated with electronic musician Danski to create a fusion of classic and electronic sounds – tweaking and distorting classical notes with Leap Motion technology.
Biometric Beatboxing with Humanelectro
After his early beatboxing experiment with the Leap Motion Controller, Ryo Fujimoto took his work with touchless technology to a bigger stage. At a live event in Tokyo called ∑(SIGMA), he created live audio and visuals from electrical sensors hooked to his body, which tracked his heart rate and muscle movements – along with the Leap Motion Controller, which tracked his finger positions in real time.
Drop the Bass with Leap Motion Dubstep
This live remix performance from Jerusalem producer and DJ Uriel Yehezkel also features GecoMIDI’s power and versatility in a variety of genres. “You can really feel the parameters you’re changing with your hands. You can flow with the music and express it with your body. Controlling more than 10 parameters simultaneously with both hands provides you with full control over the construction of the song, the emotion, and the energy.” Read more »
DJ SelArom Reaches into the Beat
Electronic musician DJ SelArom uses the Leap Motion music app GecoMIDI to create a fluid, expressive sound. “Whether you’re playing your own music or playing someone else’s music, it’s a written track. It’s a done deal, it’s going to come out the way it was produced. Leap Motion lets you add a layer on top of that – so that every time you do it, it’s going to be different. You’re not just controlling the music, you’re now part of the music.” Read more »
Tokyo DJ’s Album Created with Leap Motion
Released in October, industrial artist Aliceffekt’s retro-futuristic ambient album Telekinetic was the first known album release created with the Leap Motion Controller as its main instrument. You can listen to the album on Aliceffekt’s website.
“I’ve always liked the idea of conducting music, weaving the music in midair,” he says. “This was impossible with the previous tools I had tried. I never really understood the appeal of twisting knobs of laptop shows. I have been scratching my head for a while, trying to get out of this boring image of the modern day music programmer.” Read more »
Want to start your own music creation journey with the Leap Motion Controller? It all starts in the Airspace Store’s music and entertainment category – where you can find everything from virtual instruments like Chordion Conductor and AirBeats to professional-grade tools like GecoMIDI.
What’s your favorite musical moment of 2013? Tweet us @LeapMotion, post on our Facebook page, or join the chorus on our 2013 retrospectacular forum thread.