Algorave at Hatch

Algorave at Hatch, Manchester, 21–23 October 2021, free entry - Visit now

These days, nearly all electronic music is made using software, but there’s a disconnect between the people who create the software algorithms and the people who create the music. Algorave breaks down that barrier, with musicians folding code over itself in a live setting in order to create alien rhythms and freaky visuals that are there to be danced to.

The inaugural Corridor of Light offers an opportunity to explore what this dance music movement is all about, with both live and pre-recorded algorave performances taking place throughout the Festival.

Every night during Corridor of Light, watch algorave co-founder Alex McLean and Antonio Roberts’ handpicked selection of pre-recorded algoraves from international coding performers, who utilise free or open source software like TidalCycles, FoxDot and Hydra to turn live coding into live music.

For one night only, you can also join some of the scene’s frontrunners for a live algorave at Hatch, where on-the-spot code will be projected for all to see as it gets turned into futuristic rhythms and visuals. Performers include:

Bad Circulation: A/v algorave stalwart Hellocatfood (Antonio Roberts) joins forces with music psychologist mxwx (Maria Witek), crafting code together to confuse you into erratic movement and pure joy.

CCAI: A collaboration between drum machinist Damu and algorave instigator and creator of the TidalCycles system Yaxu (Alex McLean), building up shifting layers of fully improvised, broken techno.

Heavy Lifting: Lucy Cheeseman, co-founder of the creative collective SONA, writes confused algorithmic music with not-quite-techno rhythms.

Innocent: A Yorkshire-based artist and live coding performer who fuses melodic synths with algorithmic beats.