Aqine

Aqine is a live electronic performance piece that explores the musical potential of found objects and the fluid boundaries between the natural and the digital. The work transforms everyday materials, a wine glass and a fish tank, into expressive sonic interfaces through the integration of Pure Data and Arduino on a Raspberry Pi platform. Contact microphones and water sensors are used to detect subtle interactions with the objects, such as tapping, agitation, or water displacement, which are then processed and manipulated in real time to generate layered electronic soundscapes. The name Aqine reflects both the aqueous nature of the performance and the machine-like systems driving it, blurring distinctions between organic texture and digital logic. The piece emphasizes tactile engagement, feedback, and unpredictability, situating the performer in direct dialogue with resonant, fluid materials. As part of a larger inquiry into embodied instrument design, Aqine challenges traditional notions of what constitutes a musical instrument by foregrounding gesture, texture, and spatial resonance through lo-fi yet deeply responsive interfaces.