Okay, easy on the Clinton jokes, kids, but just a day after we learn an online fashion ‘zine is making music by recording clothing, we see that a team at NYU is taking the next step: using zippers as musical controllers. (Safe for work — they didn’t get that carried away.) The neatest part of the installation is that you use physical zippers to zip and unzip the jackets and pants of people in video images projected on the wall. Now, how musical is this? Well, that’s up for debate. Maybe shoelaces next time? (I can finally learn to tie my shoes right.)
Zipper Orchestra by Joo Youn Paek with Gabe Barcia-Colombo and Leif Mangelsen, project page; via We Make Money Not Art
Now, making the zipper on your pants a MIDI controller while you’re wearing them? That sounds like the next technological leap to me. Just make sure you’re wearing rugged underwear, or that could hurt, and . . . how did I wind up on this topic?