The Diffusing Music Podcast delves into the themes from Ben Neill’s book Diffusing Music: Trajectories of Sonic Democratization, examining how technological innovation has transformed the ways music is made, shared, and experienced. Through conversations with pioneering artists, software developers, and instrument designers, the series reveals how new tools, platforms, and creative projects are reshaping creativity and empowering a broader spectrum of voices in music today.
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EPISODE 2 – SASHA PAS AND PLAYTRONICA – YOU ARE THE INSTRUMEMT
Can sound make us more connected to the world around us—and to each other? In this episode, Ben Neill speaks with Sasha Pas, founder of Playtronica, a pioneering company that transforms physical touch into music using everyday objects and bodies as instruments. From bananas that trigger synths to wearable sensors that turn skin-to-skin contact into harmony, Playtronica’s work invites people of all backgrounds to make music through interaction and play. Sasha reflects on the collaborative nature of these tools, the philosophical ideas that shape their design, and how reimagining what an instrument can be opens up new possibilities for creativity, community, and sound.
EPISODE 1 – ALEXANDRA FIERRA AND THE DEMON BOX – MUSIC FROM INVISIBLE ENERGY
In this first episode of Diffusing Music, Ben Neill speaks with Alexandra Fierra, founder of Eternal Research and creator of the Demon Box — a groundbreaking AI-powered instrument that senses and responds to electromagnetic radiation emitted by objects in its environment. Designed to collaborate with human performers in real time, the Demon Box transforms invisible energy fields into dynamic musical responses, opening new dimensions in improvisation and interaction. Their conversation explores how technologies like the Demon Box are reshaping the creative process, reflecting broader themes from Diffusing Music and Ben’s own innovations with the Mutantrumpet. Together, they examine the evolving relationship between human imagination, technological systems, and the hidden forces that shape artistic expression.