LoopJam: turning the dance floor into a collaborative instrumental map

This paper presents the LoopJam installation which allows participants to interact with a sound map using a 3D computer vision tracking system. The sound map results from similarity-based clustering of sounds. The playback of these sounds is controlled by the positions or gestures of participants tracked with a Kinect depth-sensing camera. The beat-inclined bodily movements of participants in the installation are mapped to the tempo of played sounds, while the playback speed is synchronized by default among all sounds. We presented and tested an early version of the installation to three exhibitions in Belgium, Italy and France. The reactions among participants ranged between curiosity and amusement.