Threading the Sound: The Carpet Tufting Gun as an Electroacoustic Performance Interface

Joseph Burgess, and Toby Gifford

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

This paper explores the carpet tufting gun as a novel electroacoustic performance interface. Leveraging its distinctive acoustic properties and electromechanical kinetics, the tufting gun presents a range of physical affordances that can be creatively repurposed for musical expression. While prior intersections between textile production processes and musical practices exist, the tufting gun remains largely underexplored as a tool for structured musical composition. This work reimagines the gun’s mechanical gestures and performative affordances, transforming its utilitarian motions into expressive sonic gestures. By positioning the tufting gun as both an acoustic source and an interactive performance interface, this project works at the intersection of fibre craft and experimental sound art, where both historico-cultural context of textile making, and the ergonomics of the gun, present musical affordances.

Citation

Joseph Burgess, and Toby Gifford. 2025. Threading the Sound: The Carpet Tufting Gun as an Electroacoustic Performance Interface. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.15698906 [PDF]

BibTeX Entry

@article{nime2025_56,
 abstract = {This paper explores the carpet tufting gun as a novel electroacoustic performance interface. Leveraging its distinctive acoustic properties and electromechanical kinetics, the tufting gun presents a range of physical affordances that can be creatively repurposed for musical expression. While prior intersections between textile production processes and musical practices exist, the tufting gun remains largely underexplored as a tool for structured musical composition. This work reimagines the gun’s mechanical gestures and performative affordances, transforming its utilitarian motions into expressive sonic gestures. By positioning the tufting gun as both an acoustic source and an interactive performance interface, this project works at the intersection of fibre craft and experimental sound art, where both historico-cultural context of textile making, and the ergonomics of the gun, present musical affordances.},
 address = {Canberra, Australia},
 articleno = {56},
 author = {Joseph Burgess and Toby Gifford},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.15698906},
 editor = {Doga Cavdir and Florent Berthaut},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {June},
 numpages = {2},
 pages = {404--405},
 title = {Threading the Sound: The Carpet Tufting Gun as an Electroacoustic Performance Interface},
 track = {Paper},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2025/nime2025_56.pdf},
 year = {2025}
}