Plastikman SYNK – Richie Hawtin Pioneers New DJ Experiences

DJ/producer Richie Hawtin, who is already Twittering his DJ sets, has launched a free iPhone application, Plastikman SYNK, that will allow his fans to experience a unique integration of audio, visuals and interactive technology on his forthcoming Plastikman world tour.

Conceptualized by Richie Hawtin and developed with Rob Fischer and Bryan McDade, SYNK is a companion iPhone/iPod Touch application to the 2010 Plastikman Live worldwide tour.

SYNK users will participate in an experiment in audience-performer interaction aiming to blur the lines of perception and participation.

“It has always fascinated me how sound, lighting, visuals and human interactivity define and deepen a concert experience,” says Hawtin.

Here are he details on the components of Plastikman SYNK:

LOGIKAL

Based upon earlier “Lodgikal Nonsense” and “Vokx” voice tracks, this state invites the audience to re-organize the word samples using a user interface of 20 touch buttons. In this state the centre of performance control is moved from the stage and into the audience.

KAMERA

This state is accessible throughout the show and gives users a live video stream of an internal perspective of the performance.

SYNKOTIK

This state explores the synkronicity of realtime-generated percussion patterns and their visual counterparts, integrating the stage LED wall and the built in displays on each SYNK activated iPhone/iPod Touch.

KONSOLE

This state is active during the entire show with realtime performance information. At specific moments an extended Konsole state becomes activated, allowing further insight into the realtime programming of the performance’s drum and percussive elements, while also providing visual feedback of musical and effect parameters. A simplified remote Konsole is available to all SYNK users worldwide and will be activated during all Plastikman Live performances.

Participants should connect to the Plastikman Wi-Fi network at each peformance and will be notified of the activation of the different states by their iPhone/iPod Touch at specific moments during the show.

The SYNK experience will not be limited to viewers of the live show. In between the performances the SYNK application will be in sleeper mode and function as a Plastikman atmospheric location shifter. By using visualizations inspired by Derivative, combined with the iPhone’s built-in microphone and accelerometer, users are immersed in a Plastikman environment. For best results, please use headphones.

Compatible with iPhone or iPod touch, SYNK requires iPhone OS 3.0 or later.

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