Swedish inventors turn Rubik's Cubes into puzzling sequencer

Håkan Lidbo Audio Industries have made the instrument, a kind of sequencer built around patterns, light projections and synthesised samples. It's creation is credited to Håkan Lidbo (concept and sound design), Per-Olov Jernberg (programming & visual design) and Romeo Brahasteanu (game board).

Much like a sequencer, various dots and colours represent different sounds, and to create the sounds, you simply pick a pattern - or create one - on one of the 16 Rubik's Cubes. By altering the dots shown on the topside face, you can create almost infinite variations.

LED lights and a camera, fed into a colour-recognition algorithm and a web sequencer built for Google Chrome, are used to create noise.

The creators said in their description of the tool:

"In order to compose, the played have to place the right cube in the right box and then twist the cube to get the desired combination. This is quite complicated as it is, but when changing one instrument it effects other instruments. So composing music becomes a puzzle. A very difficult puzzle. But why does it have to be easy? Most of today’s electronic music tools have a low learning curve. But the Cube Sequencer is not easy. Just like learning how to play the violin or chess - or to solve the Rubik’s Cube - this takes time to master. What is the difference between playing a game and playing music? And who is the winner?"

Watch a clip of the Cube Sequencer in action.