MIDI: it’s not just a protocol. It’s a state of mind. It’s the interconnectedness of all things musical.
Or, at least, it is at MIDI HACK next month in Stockholm. A 24-hour hackathon will delve deep into musical creation. It’s not just mucking about with code, either: there will be performances and talks, artists and makers, all to feed your ideas.
And whereas past hack days have often focused on Web programmers and music consumption (music what?), this is different. If you’re a singer, or you want to rip a MIDI controller into shreds, or wire up a banana, this is the event for you. It appears equally friendly to someone who writes VST plug-ins as someone who wants to try a new way of performing. And that sounds refreshing.
Also, while it’s called a “MIDI Hack” day, control voltage and OSC are also welcome. Fear not, then, brave advocates of analog and OSC.
But you need to get on this: applications close at the end of the weekend. It’s quick to sign up, and it’s free, and they’ll feed you while you’re there.
Details:
http://www.midihack.com/ (scroll down to ‘Sign Up’ for a form)
The venue is nice, too: the swanky headquarters of Spotify, amidst the already-posh environs of Stockholm. Luxury while you’re awake all night.
I’m doubly excited as I’m evidently the keynote speaker. And if I get enough herring and some mysterious Swedish energy drink (or just their excellent coffee), I hope to get into the hacking, too. So see you there.
Thanks to Rikard Jönsson and Sebastian Höglund for making this happen. And, by the way, Sebastian puts out wonderful music on his label Jämmerdosa, as with the band Varg – with an ethereal, beautiful video to match – extra performance inspiration for what sounds like it’ll be an intensive weekend of creative hacking: