At Moogfest, a Kinect-powered installation gave visitors a chance to remix the track “Realiti” by Moogfest headliner Grimes. The project is one of several from artists who are using Microsoft technology to transform how they and others create and experience music.

“Realiti – Inside the Music of Grimes” is an environment that celebrates music, art and technology by giving fans the power to redefine a music experience by manipulating their surroundings and exploring an ever-evolving world.

In it, four Kinect sensors are spaced out across four zones of a mesh installation, so that it can map audience movements no matter where they are in the space. Different track components, provided by Grimes, are mapped to the four zones, so that as people move through the installation they manipulate and change different parts of the song.

As users push and move their hands around the mesh, the sensors relay the data, which converts to sound in 22 speakers. The audio system is then grouped to each of the four installation zones. As users interact, Ableton Live and Max MSP create the music in real time, routing the audio across the speakers. As the innovative hardware translates data into unique sounds and visuals, the result is a dynamic and immersive environment that blurs the line between creator and audience.

Check out the video above to see future thought leaders discuss the music and technology landscape. Amos Gaynes (Moog music product specialist), Onyx Ashanti (Sonocybernetic patternist), EMA (musician and multimedia artist) and Josette Melchor (Gray Area founder) discuss Moogfest, the music and tech community, and how projects like “Realiti – Inside the Music of Grimes” are pushing the boundaries of the music experience.

For more information, check out Music x Technology.

By Athima Chansanchai, Microsoft News Center Staff