Making music with music-making robots: Moritz in Polestar Berlin

Not everyone can do what Moritz Simon Geist does.

Once we had the robots, we thought it’d be great if people could actually explore the sounds.
Moritz Simon Geist

A robotics engineer and classical musician by training, Geist made a name for himself designing and constructingrobots that play music. From robotic vibraphones to sound sculptures operated by the artist during performances, Geist has even created music using components of Polestar 2, utilising robots of his own design to capture sounds created by, and with, the car itself.

Not everyone has the training and knowledge Geist has. Not everyone has access to the materials needed to make robots. And not everyone has a Polestar 2 (though we’re working on it). However, thanks to a recent installation currently set up in Polestar Berlin together with Vice, people now have the opportunity to do something that previously only Geist could: make music using robots.

Assembled in our retail space in Berlin’s Mitte neighbourhood, the installation features an input tablet where one can choose amongst the various sounds and rhythms Geist created with and coaxed out of the fully electric fastback. A screen above displays the robots Geist used to create these sounds, colour-coded to an image of the Polestar 2 powertrain below.

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Polestar Berlin with the Moritz installation.

“Once we had the robots, we thought it’d be great if people could actually explore the sounds,” explains Geist. “So, we can up with the idea to have interactive versions of the robots. We converted all of the robots to digital versions, allowing people to play with the buttons and explore the sounds on their own.”

A collaborative concert with Geist at the helm also took place in Polestar Berlin, during which audience members were invited to create their own music and jam with the visiting engineer-turned-audio-visionary.

Not everyone can do what Moritz Simon Geist does. Visitors to Polestar Berlin, however (or here for those not in or around the German capital), can come very close indeed. 

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