“I believe that a life lived for music is an existence spent wonderfully”
This is what Mark Rowland believes, one of the members of the Mindtunes project, who’s ambition has been to make a “big, fat, dirty, epic dubstep tune”.
The Smirnoff Mindtunes Project has enabled three physically disabled music fans to create a dubstep tune using nothing but their minds. The way the whole project work, in the most simplified manner I can think off, records the brainwaves and emotions of the three disabled candidates which then get measured and related to their associated brain functions and emotions, which a computer programme can then read and respond to. These brainwaves are then programmed to produce sound effects, synths and beats.
Mark Rowland produces beats with his emotion and his smile, Jo Portois produces synth with his facial movements, and Andy Walker adds to the sound effects with varying degrees of relaxation in his composure. All put together and produced by renowned dubstep producer, DJ Fresh.
“It was amazing, like really really, for someone who’s paralyzed to feel so much going through their body” says Andy Walker, one of the members, upon observing the reaction of the crowd to the track he helped create.
Watch the ‘making of’ documentary, here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgfxKZiSCDQ
The implications of the advent of this technology has on today’s world are countless, from enhancing gaming experiences, to the training field and to virtually almost any thing in the medical world. It’s just a wonderful example of how the advancement of technology, when put to the right use, aids in the elevation of the entire human race’s quality of living.
The track itself is beautifully composed and produced, going to show how talented and extremely intelligent the disabled can be. It features a set of high energy synths, layered over groove-filled dubstep beats.
What’s more the proceed from the single’s sales on iTunes are donated by DJ Fresh to the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People. You can buy the track, here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyF4ZxGhPHw