The Mobile Phone Orchestra

The Stanford University Center for Computer Research, who have given us the wonderful and very future forward Stanford Laptop Orchestra have organized another unusual tech-musical group called the MoPhO, or Mobile Phone Orchestra. Members of the group create “meta-instruments” out of mobile phones using the unique hardware built into mobile devices (keypads, accelerometers touchscreens and microphones) as the interface to control music. Though almost unclassifiable, MoPhO’s compositions are versatile, existing in a haunting and beautiful stylistic mix of ambient, noise and chiptune. We’ve seen many great examples of music making on phones before, but perhaps never in such a refined, organized fashion. Check out videos of their performances on the MoPhO site, or watch a recent performance below.

[via Laughing Squid]