MiMU Gloves – The Physicality of Sound

In a time where identity is crucial in all aspects of art and creation, innovative technology steps up to bridge the gaps between sound, visual and sense of self. Music no longer relies on just one sense, but rather all of them simultaneously. Combining the senses allows an experience unlike any other, fully immersing the listener into a new world. While audiences are the first to experience these new technologies, it leaves us to wonder, who is beyond the genius?

Origin Story

One of those innovators is the team behind MiMU Gloves. These gloves are a cutting-edge and creative invention, allowing the user to manipulate sound through physical movement and textile. Entrepreneur and musician Imogen Heap spearheaded the initiative in 2010, finding a team of creatives and engineers to bring her idea to life. The gloves were created by musicians for musicians, ensuring that the user experience would coincide with the needs and desires of musical geniuses around the world. The prototype of the invention evolved through Heap’s own experimentation with it and eventually made its way to her concert stages as well as her Tiny Desk performance.

How They Work

When the user makes a noise or sings, etc., the mic picks up that sound, and the gloves will manipulate it according to the plugins and settings used. The gloves work by assessing movement in the fingers through sensors and reacting accordingly through sound. They sense arm movements as well, allowing the user to assign different settings to the finger movements and arm movements. Those specific settings can create reverb, repetition and pitch changes in real time, all adding to the music-creating experience. When all of those settings intersect, the user can create an immersive experience through music and movement. MiMU has various plugins that users can purchase for an elevated experience. 

The gloves challenge traditional notions of music creation and composition through the physical aspect. They truly connect sound with the body, allowing a harmony between the senses. Composing music now has simultaneous layers instead of adding them to the software one by one. The user can write a song with their body and with various parts of their body instead of merely using software and pre-made sounds. Music is no longer limited to notes, sound and theory but rather something that transcends that notion and invites the user to experiment with it. For artists craving a unique experience and sound, MiMU has changed the way music exists in the physical world.

Big Names Experimenting with Sound

Numerous well-known music artists have gotten their hands on, or perhaps in, these gloves, including creator Imogen Heap, Ariana Grande, Chagall and FKA Twigs. In an artist-on-artist interview hosted by Spotify, Twigs and Heap sat down to discuss Twigs’ new album, creation and everything in between. Her album, Eusexua, features whispered tones, engaging autotune, and elements of House and Club sounds. During the interview, Heap showcased the MiMU gloves and invited Twigs to participate in a demonstration. The beautifully haunting pair of voices, combined with musical talent, allowed a symphony of sound and visual appeal. 

While experimenting with Heap, Twigs used those aspects to add her own touch to the live music they created. She whispered “eusexua” into the mic, and with the help of the MiMU gloves, the word reverberated and drifted around the space as Heap waved her hands through the air. The sound enveloped the environment, showing the dimensions created with the gloves.

In this moment, Heap was the artist and Twigs the medium, combining their skills to paint the physical, visual and sonar landscape. Both worked off of each other, improving the next string of sound or tune. Twigs also utilized her physical space, stomping her heels into the ground to create a new percussive element. The sound amped up as Heap waved her hands about in a conductive manner, reaching the climactic finish and then, silence.

Featured in Immersive Exhibits

Now, MiMU gloves have found their way past the clutches of celebrity music artists and into the immersive exhibit of The Future Is Sound in London. The exhibit showcased various speakers, artists and technological innovations, including  MiMU gloves. Attendees of the event had the opportunity to experience the gloves first-hand with live demonstrations, as well as try the gloves on themselves.

With the MiMU brand being an Innovation Partner of the event, it is clear that the two align themselves similarly with devotion to unique creation and invention. Involving the public within their event allowed a wider spread experience of the gloves, as the price of the gloves may not be as accessible to everyone. Seeing the textiles featured on stages and sets is one thing, but putting them on yourself truly showcases the true awe-factor of the piece. 

What is Next for MiMU?

While the exhibit, The Future Is Sound, seems to be the most up-to-date showcase of the gloves, there is no mistaking that they will continue to inspire musicians and listeners alike. Whether in live demonstrations or in an online video, the gloves have surely made their mark in the music technology industry.