Absolut Machines is a pioneering project that explores what happens when leading-edge technology meets creativity, art and music. It’s an interactive installation which let online visitors create music together with intelligent machines. I was involved in the early strategy part of the project and I must say that Absolut Machines definitely is something extremely creative and different. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Absolut is both unique and bold when it comes to interact with their audience.
There are two different machines. The first one is a big electromechanical orchestra consisting of a marimba played by flying balls and wine glasses played by robot fingers. It’s called the Absolut Quartet and is developed by New York based Dan Paluska and Jeff Lieberman. The second one is a robotic choir consisting of ten stunning characters in different sizes and with different voices and visual expressions. This one is called the Absolut Choir and is constructed by Teenage Engineering, a Swedish studio for future commercial products, communication and entertainment.
It’s some great visual piece of design – but there is more to the Absolut Machines. An advanced software systems at the back end of the machines will interpret your input and immediately turn it into a three-minute song, live-streamed via the Internet. If you ever dreamed of artificial creativity, this is pretty much your heaven…
“With The Absolut Machines, we explore how technology merges with creativity, and we are thrilled to have such fantastic visionaries with us on this journey”, says Ulrika Lövdahl, responsible for trend communications at V&S Absolut Spirits.
From January 31 you will be able to interact with the Absolut Choir via live feed at the Absolut Machines website. Absolut Quartet will be up and running from February 5th. However it’s a limited number of time slots available so be sure to book your turn asap. Among other things the website also offers different interviews on artificial creativity.
Absolut Choir is shown at Restaurang Publik at PUB.03 in Stockholm. Open for public from February 1st. The Absolut Quartet is shown at a guerilla gallery at 186 Orchard St on Manhattan, NYC.
Stay tuned. I will add fresh pictures of the Absolut Machines when they are up and running at each location.
Andra bloggar om: absolut, absolut machines, reklam, marknadsföring, kreativitet, design, artificiell intelligens, ai
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3 comments
Normann Copenhagen says:
Feb 7, 2008
What a wild idea – 100% respect to Absolut for thinking outside the box, and leaving their competitors in the “creative” dust. However after having tried the machine I’m sort of disappointed…it’s just to odd to make me fly.
neighbor says:
Feb 24, 2008
As someone who lives upstairs from the “quartet” I can say it sounds more like a cacophony. As a bay area native I have had a large dose or electronic art and computer generated “music”. This is a visually interesting piece, but aurally, it’s about as fun to hear as a MTA bus full of 4th graders.
This piece is melodic in the first few notes, then it turns to obnoxious, wall-rattling noise. Perhaps it would have been more pleasant as a duet rather than a quartet, I call it Absoulutly Annoying.
Phlebians, would you like to trade apartments? To fully appreciate this piece, you should try sleeping above it.
p.s. give your gallery girl (and the general public) some contact info, so we don’t have to use public forums and 311 to direct our noise complaints.
It is noise, not music.
David Report blog » Absolut Machines live says:
Feb 25, 2008
[...] the movie as a QuickTime movie. Further info on the Absolut Machines project in my earlier post here. [...]