DAY
feat. Ableton, Native Instruments, Moog + more
FREE
Thurs 2nd > Sun 5th
ENTRY: 89 BRICK LANE
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DAY
Hosted by Tony Nwachukwu,CDR Projects
TICKETS: £15
(reduced from £75)
Thurs 2nd Nov
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NIGHT
Chagall, Petrichor
& Rachel K Collier
FREE
Fri 3rd Nov
93 FEET EAST
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NIGHT
(reduced from £15)
Fri 3rd Nov
BOILER HOUSE MAIN STAGE
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BEHIND THE SCENES: EMMA & GORDANA
Speaking with the founders of the festival
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How did the idea of We Are Robots festival come about?
We Are Robots has been a dream of mine for a long time, though officially my co-founder Gordana & I came up with the concept early in 2016 and we’ve been working on the event ever since. We wanted to provide a space for musicians, industry professionals and music fans to come together and experience new music technologies, discuss future practices and share industry insights. Gordana and I both come from musical backgrounds (Gordana is a composer and I previously worked in radio).
The format of the event is both a festival and exhibition. Why do you think both formats work together well?
We’ve worked really hard to make sure both the festival and exhibition are curated hand in hand. We have made the exhibition free to attend with content that will enlighten and challenge both young and old. We also feature unique workshops during the day; for example with Teenage Engineering and NSDOS who uses the OP1 as part of his performance; and is our headline act on our main stage in the Boiler House.
Tell us about the event planning process, what has been the most challenging to date?
The event planning process has been really exciting and challenging from the word go. The people we’ve met along the way and the support we’ve had has been incredible. The most challenging part was getting the curation of the event just right. Once we sorted that everything else fell into place; We can’t for show day now!
What is the role of your partners and how it has been working with them?
Our partners have different roles and we’ve been lucky to have some top brands on board such as Ableton, Pioneer DJ, Rough Trade and Point Blank Music School who have all helped shape the festival into what it is now and been very generous with their support and guidance. Each partner is bringing something different to the table, from song writing workshops to live performances.
What’s great about the festival and why should I attend?
This brand new festival is an amazing opportunity to get stuck into the future of music, plus the main elements of the festival are free to attend – you’ll regret it if you don’t check it out! Come and get your hands on the brand new tech that’s changing the game in the industry, meet the makers, immerse yourself in sound installations and attend DJ workshops, panel talks and fantastic gigs all on one beautiful site in the heart of East London. See you there!
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TIM MURRAY-BROWNE
Media artist and creative coder based in London creating interactive installations and performances
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Tim Murray-Browne is an artist, coder and researcher based in London. Having recently completed a ten month residency through Sound and Music at London’s Music Hackspace, Murray-Browne works primarily with interactive installation and performance pieces that investigate themes of discovery, self-expression and how these relate through action, movement and sound. We couldn’t miss an opportunity to pick his brains before he begins his exhibition stint at the festival, so check out our interview with Tim, below...
What has inspired you to be a music installation creator and musician?
I’ve always been interested in music and technology since I was a child. We were a techy and musical family and the house was always filled with various bits of musical tech. I began a PhD at Queen Mary in London where I researched interactive music systems. I found myself drawn into theories on what music is, why we do it and how our musical practices influence and reflect the wider society we live in. Alongside, I’ve had some diverse and transformative musical experiences over the years: singing choral music as a boy, playing free improv, going to raves, the opera house. All of these musical contexts created new ways to connect with people, and opened up different dimensions to music.
How did you achieve this career ?
I did some work for a creative studio called Seeper which gave me some insight into the industry. I then applied through Sound and Music’s Embedded programme to do a residency with The Music Hackspace. I connected with the community there and together with seven others we created The Cave of Sounds. Each member of the group created a new musical instrument which we then exhibited together for the audience to play in a gallery context. We had a magic group of 8 artists involved, each exceptionally talented in very different directions. The work was a hit and from there I’ve just been winging it, making the most of the opportunities that come up.
What personal advice would you give to young musicians wanting to pursue this career?
Make friends with people doing similar stuff. Collaborate with others. Work for other people doing interesting things. Connect with people in the same scene.
Who is your biggest inspiration in music industry?
Man, I’m always bad at picking ‘the biggest’ as my inspirations are always shifting. I think the key musical influences for me are often shaped by the context I heard them in, and where I was in my life at the time. Not quite the music industry, but David Rokeby has been a huge inspiration, both in his work and his writings. Also the writings of Christopher Small.
How would you describe and rate the music scene in UK and what, in your opinion, is the future of music?
I’m not in such a position to rate the overall scene as my stuff is pretty far out on the fringes. I imagine the future of music will probably reflect the society of the future. I’m hoping it will be more participatory. Not just fantasy interactive experiences to consume, but musical spaces that genuinely allow a less hierarchical control of the musical act. But we’re at something of an inflection point at the moment and there are many different directions it could go.
View more of Tim's work here.
See his sound installation in the We Are Robots exhibition halls, open 10am-6pm daily
FREE ENTRY
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Arturia
Founded in Grenoble, France, in 1999, Arturia specialises in the development of music software and hardware for professional and amateur musicians. They are a team of passionate people dedicated to musicians. Arturia dare to create original and different instruments, imagine new experiences and reinvent products. Come have a play on the Drumbute Drum Machine and more!
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raven x yuri suzuki design studio
In the exhibition hall you'll find Yuri Suzuki Design Studio – a creative consultancy specialising in concept, installation and interactive design, art direction and bespoke musical instruments. Yuri has had international acclaim for nearly 10 years, working with the likes of Will.i.am, Disney, Moog, Yamaha and Google, and exhibiting in MOMA New York, Tate Britain and the Museum of Art in Tokyo to name a few.
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Daniel Miller
Although he DJ'd many years ago, Daniel Miller's recent DJing was inspired by an invitation from Karl O'Connor aka Regis who invited him to perform at a Sandwell district event at Berlin's Berghain. There he caught the bug to play again and since has been playing regular techno sets worldwide. Catch him at the Boiler House for the We Are Robots after party with many more. Tickets here, just £10.
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Ableton
Following on from their linkjam in our Boiler House, Ableton make Live, Push and Link – unique software and hardware for music creation and performance. Founded in 1999, Ableton’s products are now used by a community of dedicated musicians, sound designers and artists from across the world. Catch them in the exhibition hall, and also their free event at 93 Feet East, tickets available here. |
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FOR YOUR EARS: SOUND OF ROBOTS
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PLAYLIST
The Penelopes - Sally in the Galaxy (Edwin Van Cleef remix)
NSDOS (Live) - 9 October 2015
Mt. Wolf - Clash Magazine Mix
Music and Innovation from Sweden: the Teenage Engineering story (talk)
Majestic Mix - Ben Fairclough
Density Theory - Mixed by Phelan Kane
Point Blank on Pioneer DJ Radio - 068 Pre Silent
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