Turntable-Based Electronic Music and Embodied Audience Interaction

Tak Cheung Hui, Xiaoqiao Li, and Yu Chia Kuo

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

Rings… Through Rings transforms archival maps of Hong Kong’s military fortifications into playable surfaces for turntable-based electronic music. Laser-etched discs encode cartographic data, producing sonic textures manipulated through turntables and enhanced by audio techniques like cross-synthesis, concatenative synthesis, and spatialization. Grounded in theories of transcoding, productive agency, and participatory culture, the project reimagines the turntable as a cultural interface, bridging analog heritage with computational sound. This hybrid system blends pre-composed musical structures with real-time audience interaction, allowing participants to alter playback, swap discs, and influence spatial audio. By merging cartography, sound, and participatory design, the work offers a collaborative, multisensory approach to intangible heritage. Future developments include expanded spatial configurations, real-time disc fabrication, and AI integration to deepen engagement and cultural reinterpretation.

Citation

Tak Cheung Hui, Xiaoqiao Li, and Yu Chia Kuo. 2025. Turntable-Based Electronic Music and Embodied Audience Interaction. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15699598 [PDF]

BibTeX Entry

@article{nime2025_17,
 abstract = {Rings… Through Rings transforms archival maps of Hong Kong’s military fortifications into playable surfaces for turntable-based electronic music. Laser-etched discs encode cartographic data, producing sonic textures manipulated through turntables and enhanced by audio techniques like cross-synthesis, concatenative synthesis, and spatialization. Grounded in theories of transcoding, productive agency, and participatory culture, the project reimagines the turntable as a cultural interface, bridging analog heritage with computational sound. This hybrid system blends pre-composed musical structures with real-time audience interaction, allowing participants to alter playback, swap discs, and influence spatial audio. By merging cartography, sound, and participatory design, the work offers a collaborative, multisensory approach to intangible heritage. Future developments include expanded spatial configurations, real-time disc fabrication, and AI integration to deepen engagement and cultural reinterpretation.},
 address = {Canberra, Australia},
 articleno = {17},
 author = {Tak Cheung Hui and Xiaoqiao  Li and Yu Chia Kuo},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.15699598},
 editor = {Doga Cavdir and Florent Berthaut},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {June},
 numpages = {5},
 pages = {121--125},
 title = {Turntable-Based Electronic Music and Embodied Audience Interaction},
 track = {Paper},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2025/nime2025_17.pdf},
 year = {2025}
}