Music Tech Adventures
I’ve freelanced for Sonicstate for many years, appeared on Sonic TALK since 2010, and made a lot of videos on my own channel. Along the way I’ve been to a fair few music technology events, interviewing people, showing instruments, hosting discussions and occasionally making a nuisance of myself.
Here are some of the shows and a few surviving videos. The stories will grow as I dig out photographs and remember what happened.
Superbooth — Berlin, Germany
Berlin’s synthesizer and electronic instrument gathering has been a regular part of my Sonicstate reporting. There are hundreds of instruments to encounter, but the people and unscripted moments are what tend to stick in my mind.
2018 — The Behringer 808 getaway
A short Sonicstate video from Superbooth 2018 catches me running off with Behringer’s newly unveiled 808-style drum machine. The title explains the rest.
2025 — Sonicstate turns thirty
At Superbooth 2025 we helped mark thirty years of Sonicstate with a surprise for Nick Batt and Andy. Andreas Schneider wheeled me onto the stage in a handcart, and I led a rendition of Happy Birthday. The linked anniversary video is the tribute shown at the event, rather than footage of the whole stage surprise.
Read Sonicstate’s account of the 30th anniversary
Synth Reactor — Treppendorf, Germany · March 2019
Thomann’s Synth Reactor took place from 14–17 March 2019 at the company’s headquarters in Treppendorf, near Nuremberg. They invited 25 music-technology YouTubers from around the world to spend four days meeting, experimenting and filming together. I’d never experienced an event quite like it.
It wasn’t a conventional trade show. There were manufacturers to meet — among them Moog, Elektron, Korg, Yamaha, Arturia, Roland, Novation and many others — but the rather extraordinary part was being given access to Thomann’s enormous selection of instruments and the facilities to do almost anything we could dream up. We could indulge pretty much any mad idea, and often did.
What I remember most vividly is meeting and making things with people whose work I’d followed for years: Look Mum No Computer, Doctor Mix, Noir et Blanc Vie, and a whole crowd including DivKid, Hainbach, Cuckoo and BoBeats. There was a real thrill in having so many of us in one place, with the time and opportunity to collaborate rather than just grab a quick conversation in a noisy exhibition hall.
Some of the things we got up to
Among the videos I made was a chat with Ess from Elektron about the Digitone. Another memorable experiment involved Look Mum No Computer and a small crowd investigating what was actually inside a ROLI Seaboard — with rather more tools than your average product demonstration requires. I also joined Once Upon a Synth to run bass through a Moog One; Sonicstate’s event roundup documents that and the enormous shop-wide synthesizer drone.
There’s plenty more from those four days that I want to add as I remember it. For now, there’s Thomann’s official #TSR19 video playlist, Thomann’s account of the event, and Sonicstate’s roundup.
NAMM — Anaheim, California
NAMM is a huge musical instrument trade show in southern California. I’ve attended twice to make videos and talk to musicians and instrument makers.
In 2020 I interviewed Vernon Reid of Living Colour for Sonicstate’s Three Big Questions series. One memory from that conversation is Diego Stocco arriving with a particularly enormous acoustic guitar; I’ll add the exact moment when I locate it.
I was also interviewed for NAMM’s Oral History Collection on 16 February 2019. Watch the NAMM Oral History interview.
Synth East — Norwich, England
At the Norwich Arts Centre, Synth East combines an instrument expo with performances and rather unpredictable modular improvisation. The All-Star Patch-Off pairs musicians who must play together without rehearsing.
I’ve taken part across several years, with Steve Davis, Robin Vincent and other electronic musicians. The 2024 programme also included a thirty-minute improvised set with Robin and Mylar Melodies.
Machina Bristronica — Bristol, England
Machina Bristronica brings independent instrument builders, music technology companies and performers together in Bristol. In 2023 I hosted its discussion stage, including a panel called More Than Machines about the relationship between musicians and their equipment.
That discussion featured Imogen Heap, Kim Bjørn, Kai Campos and Hazel Mills, and was released online the following year.
Dutch Modular Fest — Rotterdam, Netherlands
Dutch Modular Fest is held at WORM in Rotterdam, bringing together Eurorack makers, musicians and the wider modular community. In 2025 I hosted the Mutable Challenge, where performers had an hour with a rack built entirely around Mutable Instruments modules.
The video below introduces the idea and the rules ahead of the festival. Footage from the actual event can be added separately.
Dutch Modular Fest official site · DivKid’s 2025 festival walkthrough
WAMM — Brussels, Belgium
I attended the first We Are The Music Makers event in Brussels on 5–6 June 2026. Organised by Shakmat and Beatsurfing, it combined an electronic instrument exhibition with live performances, workshops and discussions.
I haven’t found a confirmed video featuring me from this event yet, so I’m leaving the video space open rather than using unrelated footage. See the official WAMM 2026 photographs and event archive.
More photographs, videos and recollections will be added here. Back to the main contents.