MI.MU GLOVES
MI.MU GLOVES MUSICAL GLOVES FOR PERFORMANCE AND COMPOSITION, 2011
MI.MU (GB)
The mi.mu gloves are wireless, wearable gestural musical instruments and controllers. The gloves are fitted with sensors that track the movement of your hands and fingers, allowing musicians to control music software with a degree of complexity and expression not available with more traditional button and slider interfaces.
Originally developed with and for musician Imogen Heap, the mi.mu gloves are a transformational new way to compose and perform music. For musicians, the gloves offer a radical new way to interact with computer music, allowing them to sculpt sound with their hands, or manipulate effects with their fingers.
For audiences, the gloves are a visual and physical performance of electronic sound, bringing them closer to the music. The movement of the human body brings the dynamics of electronic music to life, as music is created through visual movements and gestures.
For the SOUND CHECK exhibition at Science Gallery Dublin, the mi.mu team have created a unique set of mi.mu glove musical experiences for visitors to try for themselves.
BIO
Mi.mu is a team of specialist musicians, artists, scientists and technologists developing cutting-edge wearable technology for the performance and composition of music. The mi.mu gloves have captured worldwide attention by showing that there is a better way to make music than with sliders and buttons — through the complex movement of the human body.
The mi.mu story begins with musician and artist Imogen Heap. In her search for a better relationship with the music software and hardware that forms her musical toolbox, she came across the idea of making music using a pair of gloves.
Inspired by other projects that had followed this path, in 2010 she began to seek out collaborators to work on a musical glove prototype. This began what would later evolve into the diverse team of engineers, artists and designers that now make up mi.mu — specialising in textiles, electronics, sensors, software and, of course, music.
After some months of work, Imogen gave an explosive performance at TEDGlobal in 2010, generating an avalanche of interest in the project, and making it clear that this was not just another experimental music system, but the beginnings of something special.
The glove technology evolved in a symbiotic relationship with Imogen’s performances and writing. Real performances drove the development of the gloves, leading to an instrument and controller fit for professional musicians, ready to make complex, beautiful and engaging music.
In 2015, the first batch of mi.mu gloves were released to the public. The first set of glove users included music and disability charity Drake Music, where they are being used to great effect by musician Kris Halpin. Pop star Ariana Grande also used them on her 2015 world tour. The gloves have also found their way onto the hands of film composers, performing musicians, visual artists, mixing engineers and theatre practitioners.
Mi.mu is now pushing forward, as the team continues to work on new ideas, software, designs and tools to bring this idea of gestural performance to as many people as possible.