Uncanny Valerie

Posted 18 March 2009 by admin in Robots

Uncanny Valerie

I’m back now from the Newcastle where I was exhibiting a few odds and ends at the UK’s first Maker Faire. It was a hugely entertaining weekend -- great to meet so many other hardware hackers, crafters and so on. I’ll be posting a few videos and writing about some of my favourite sights -- including the Milk Float musicians and the Owl Project’s iLog -- later on this week. Meanwhile, here’s some footage of Uncanny Valerie, captured on someone’s mobile. This trip to was Valerie’s first official outing.

The arcade sounds in the background are from Iain Sharpe’s wonderful LunarLander game, which is a physical, 3D version of the arcade classic, complete with a moving, model Apollo capsule and papier-mâché lunar surface.

Tags: Maker Faire, musical robot, Uncanny Valerie

Spacedog at the first UK Maker Faire

Posted 7 March 2009 by admin in Robots

Maker Faire, Newcastle

I’ll be heading up to Newcastle this weekend for the first UK Maker Faire. I’m bringing a selection of playful experiments with sensors and music, including Uncanny Valerie, the all-seeing robotic oracle, Clara 2.0, the polite robot thereminist, my robotic bell rig and a couple of new surprises. One involves a tea tray, a bunch of accelerometers and a 1920s Antoria Piano Accordion. The festival runs all weekend at the Centre for Life, Newcastle, 14 and 15 March. See you there!

Tags: Make Magazine, Maker Faire, mind reading, robotic music, theremin, Uncanny Valley

News: January 2012

Juice for the Baby, Spacedog's debut album, is here! I'm ducking out of the Kinetica Art Faire this year but am huddled indoors, writing, sleuthing (investigating a recording in the archives) and devising a new biologically-inspired musical instrument - all will be revealed soon.

News: December 2011

Juice for the Baby, Spacedog's debut album, launches in mid-December. Join us for the launch gigs at the Marlborough, Brighton, on 9 December and the Horse Hospital, London, on 14 December.

News: November 2011

A busy month writing and editing the forthcoming Spacedog album - stay tuned for news.

News: October 2011

I'm focusing on my writing this month (so am quite the hermit) but I'm squeezing in the occasional live performance here and there.

I'm looking forward to working with Helen Keen in her Spacetacular on 20th. I'm writing a code-based work for the new label Chordpunch and some owlish music for that fine wordsmith Professor Elemental.

Spacedog are booked into the studio at the end of the month to complete work on our album.

News: September 2011

A busy month writing, preparing a get-together of maker musicians for the Brighton Maker Faire After-show party. I've also been electrifying a teapot for the Chi-Tek - an exhibition by MzTek of female tech artists at the V&A. And with my fellow Spacedog Stephen Hisock, I made an appearance on the 10th Anniversary edition of BBC Click.

News: August 2011

The Spacedog song For Laika is now available on iTunes (and the album is on its way). Meanwhile, we've been busy preparing our set for Green Man, including the first outing of our torch song for Tommy Cooper.

I'm procrastinating over a teapot which I'm going to electrify for a MzTek event at the Victoria and Albert Museum in September.

I took a short trip to a very rainy Edinburgh Fringe where I played at an event for Edinburgh Skeptics in the Royal Observatory and made some plans for a Spacedog show next summer.

Apart from that, I've been busy writing. More news on that shortly, I hope...

News: July 2011

I'm interviewed by Leila Johnston in this month's Wired UK magazine and will be appearing with my fellow Spacedogs at a Wired: The Future of Music on 20 July.

I've rounded up a bumper crop of links and soundclips for my BBC Radio 4 doc The Bird Fancyer's Delight, which is broadcast on 5 and 9 July and is also available on Listen Again. Thanks for all your cheery emails about the doc, to ProjectMoonbase for mentioning it in their podcast PMB038 and for the many national papers who gave the documentary such lovely reviews - I'm glad people enjoyed it! On Sunday 10 July, the doc was featured on Graham Seed's Pick of the Week (Radio 4). A good week!

My latest collaboration with Richard Wiseman is a free and fun magic trick for your iPhone. It's called Paranormality and it's been put together for the launch of his book by the same name in the US. Thanks to Phillis on Derrren Brown's blog for giving the app a mention - thousands of people have now downloaded it and are busy bamboozling their friends.

News: June 2011

Playing theremin for Louise Colborne's homage to Loie Fuller (pioneering cybernetic dancer c1900) and composing sounds for Sonus, an homage to the analogue age with Spacedog, ArtHertz, Rushes Soho Shorts Festival and Ridley Scott Associates. Discovering how easy (or difficult) it is to publicise events in 2011 without Twitter - will report back!

Getting ready for BEAM - a brand new festival of electronics and music at Brunel University (24-26 June). I'll be speaking, running a workshop on optical flow and performing live with my fellow Spacedogs. I'll also be playing a short theremin set at the Speaky Spokey, a new arts salon in Brighton (Wed 22 June).

Putting the finishing touches to a sonic-themed BBC Radio 4 documentary, with producer Neil McCarthy, due for transmission on 5 July 2011.

Playing a short set at the the Absinthe Ball, Lewes, 17 June, and highlights of our Televisor set at Richard Strange's legendary Cabaret Futura, 20 June.

Presenting a workshop for Hack Circus at Interesting, in the Conway Hall, London, 18 June, and performing theremin at a family day at the Science Museum, 19 June.