This modular musical instrument is composed of six percussive tubes. Each one of them is motorized, amplified and connected to a sensor, so they can play music depending on the interaction with the public. For now, Tubes is an installation piece but due to its modular nature could easily be intergrated into live music shows or teamed with other instalations.

While it is inspired by thongophones and organs, I worked on a design that is more reminiscent of science ficton. The tubes themselves give the instrument an insect like appearance, whilst the motorized elements add to its oddly organic nature. The sound deigns of the piece takes this further, using tones and effects to find a sound that is somewhere between music and the calls of animals.

I tried to link this organic concept to how the audience interacts with Tubes. Sensors are hidden on it so that people can trigger tubes without realising it. Then Tubes will react by playing one note which is repeated a few times. This feedback loop is a metaphor of the memory of an organic system. If other people enter the room, the sensors will be triggered each time, meaning that there are sounds being made for each new audience member. The resulting sound is organic and will change with the number of new people entering or leaving the space Tubes is in.