Ehecatl: A Frugal Digital Wind Instrument Inspired by Aztec Cosmogony

Manuel Ruiz

Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Abstract

This paper presents Ehecatl (eh-HEK-ah-tl), a digital wind instrument (DWI) that integrates frugal technologies with Nahua (Aztec) cosmogony. The instrument is inspired by the ceremony of the Voladores de Papantla (Papantla Flyers), which physically enacts the Quincunx, a Mesoamerican cosmological framework representing the four cardinal directions and a central axis mundi. These spatial concepts provide the foundation for mapping gestural performance parameters to sound modulations. Ehecatl was designed as a portable, standalone instrument embedding both control and sound synthesis. It employs the ESP32-S3 microcontroller, an I2S DAC, low-cost sensors including an accelerometer and a magnetometer, alongside a novel custom windmill-based breath sensor designed for affordability and accessibility. Sound is generated using the M16 library’s synthesis engine, utilizing a capacitive touch interface that allows for fluid, pentatonic melodic control, translating breath and movement into a cohesive sonic landscape. This project illustrates how Indigenous epistemologies can inform the design of accessible, culturally grounded musical interfaces.

Citation

Manuel Ruiz. 2026. Ehecatl: A Frugal Digital Wind Instrument Inspired by Aztec Cosmogony. Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.20784135 [PDF]

BibTeX Entry

@inproceedings{nime2026_39,
 abstract = {This paper presents Ehecatl (eh-HEK-ah-tl), a digital wind instrument (DWI) that integrates frugal technologies with Nahua (Aztec) cosmogony. The instrument is inspired by the ceremony of the Voladores de Papantla (Papantla Flyers), which physically enacts the Quincunx, a Mesoamerican cosmological framework representing the four cardinal directions and a central axis mundi. These spatial concepts provide the foundation for mapping gestural performance parameters to sound modulations. Ehecatl was designed as a portable, standalone instrument embedding both control and sound synthesis. It employs the ESP32-S3 microcontroller, an I2S DAC, low-cost sensors including an accelerometer and a magnetometer, alongside a novel  custom windmill-based breath sensor designed for affordability and accessibility. Sound is generated using the M16 library’s synthesis engine, utilizing a capacitive touch interface that allows for fluid, pentatonic melodic control, translating breath and movement into a cohesive sonic landscape. This project illustrates how Indigenous epistemologies can inform the design of accessible, culturally grounded musical interfaces.},
 address = {London, United Kingdom},
 articleno = {39},
 author = {Manuel Ruiz},
 booktitle = {Proceedings of the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression},
 doi = {10.5281/zenodo.20784135},
 editor = {Benedict Gaster and João Tragtenberg and Anna Xambó and Tom Mitchell},
 issn = {2220-4806},
 month = {June},
 note = {},
 numpages = {7},
 pages = {335--341},
 presentation-video = {https://youtu.be/B2Gx2Ur9no0},
 title = {Ehecatl: A Frugal Digital Wind Instrument Inspired by Aztec Cosmogony},
 track = {Paper},
 url = {http://nime.org/proceedings/2026/nime2026_39.pdf},
 year = {2026}
}