Bike-sharing service Cogoo has created a system called Turntable Rider that transforms a BMX bicycle into an elaborate MIDI controller.
The system features a fader box that can be attached to the handlebars, a jog wheel stick attached to the bike’s wheel valve and two handbrake sound pads. These controls communicate wirelessly (using Bluetooth) with a computer running DJ software Traktor to modify the tracks being played.
The system was developed in a collaboration between professional BMX rider Kotaro Tanaka, turntablist DJ Baku and interactive artist Toshiyuki Sugai. According to the team, the aim was to create a system that “mixes well with street culture and is fun to play.” DJ Baku and Kotaro Tanaka have created an album of BMX-controlled music, which they are soon to release on iTunes. They will also be performing live with the bike at the Kaikoo Popwave Festival in Tokyo on Apr. 21.
