Moonage Lobotomy

This project was directly inspired by Mason Lindroth's Hylics video game, a multimedia surrealist RPG that joyously used computer scanned clay-mation to awesome effect. In the end of the game, the characters gather around to play as a space operatic band.

Using this as my theming for my project, the technical part of the project is a custom MIDI controller powered by an Arduino Nano Every utilizing Ableton MIDI libraries. Pressing the arcade buttons on the back of the stage sends correspondingly mapped MIDI signals to Ableton Live to trigger notes on preprogrammed instruments for each player's part. 

Each little clay figure on the stage is segmented with flexible spinal wire and tied with fishing line to a servo underneath the stage. When the system detects a corresponding MIDI note, either from button press or placed on Ableton itself, the servo will pulse and the figuring will play it's instrument.