The duo
Two complementary directions, presented on equal footing.
Koo Des (NSDOS)
Artistic & musical direction
Dancer, musician, performer and researcher, trained at the International Dance Academy in Paris after starting out with street hip-hop. Nicknamed the “techno hacker” by the French press, he collects living data from the moving body and injects it into the structure of techno. Artistic direction, sound system design and musical translation of gesture.
Selected releases
- Intuition — movement data captured in Alaska
- Clubbing Sequence — music responding to the motion of dancers
- Micro Club — the body under constrained conditions
Julien Thomas
Technical direction & systems
System architecture, hardware integration, embedded electronics and spatial interactive devices. Design of the sensors, robots and real-time pipelines.
Devices & capabilities
Systems developed in-house, deployable in performance as well as installation.
AS-SIMT wearable sensors
Worn devices that capture motion and return sonic and haptic feedback in real time.
- Embedded screen
- 9-axis motion unit
- Bone-conduction transducers
Unitree Go2 quadruped robots
Mobile sound bodies carrying directional speakers, choreographed through the space.
- Embedded directional speakers
- Choreography and trajectories
- Real-time control
Gesture → sound translation
A real-time pipeline that turns a captured gesture into musical material.
- Capture and mapping
- Timbral transfer
- Sonic corpus
Spatial sound & live interface
Multichannel diffusion and live visualization of the system.
- Spatial diffusion
- Visualization interface
- Macro capture
Two deployment modes
The same device exists as a performed version and as an autonomous one.
- Live activation
- Autonomous installation
- Recording and replay
Open ecosystem
Open source projects the duo contributes to, outside the studio’s own scope.
EightOS (∞OS)
An open source operating system for the bodymind, co-created by Koo Des and Dmitry Paranyushkin, under a CC BY-SA 4.0 licence since 2015. The practice relies on direct physical experience to embed its principles at the level of reflexes.
- Adaptability and fractal variability
- Confluence, integrity, friction
- Resilience and modularity
SelfSense
An app and trackers that entrain fractal variability in movement, breathing and heart rate, with live feedback on the fractality of gesture.
- Fractal movement entrainment
- Live feedback on gesture
- Heart rate variability and breathing
Shop
Audio and artistic equipment
AS-SIMT Sensors
Aesthetic wearable sensors transforming movement into visual, haptic and sonic feedback in real time.
Multi-channel Audio System
Embedded audio system with 3 I2S amplifiers for rich multi-channel sound rendering.
Custom PCB
Design and industrialization of custom PCBs for your electronic projects.
XXL Base
Scenographic platform with 3 speakers, touch screen, transducers and charging dock for sensors.
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Services
Audio Object Creation
Custom objects and modules for stage and installation.
- Synths/controllers
- Sound modules
- Unique pieces
Sensors & Interaction
Sensors and interfaces for gesture, motion and light.
- Gesture & motion
- Stage interaction
- Audio‑light sync
Objects & Installation
Integrated devices for performance and installation.
- Prototype → stage
- Custom systems
- Creative support
3D Design
Form, material and usage for expressive objects.
- Object design
- Rapid prototyping
- Finishes & integration
Scenography & Light
Light-based devices and interactions for the stage.
- Reactive lighting
- Mapping & DMX
- Immersive installations
Go2 (Unitree) — custom creation
Quadruped robot for performances, installations and creations.
- Choreography & scenography
- Stage modules
- Performances & installations
Projects & Achievements
AS-SIMT / EightOS Motion Sensors
Wearable sensors turning movement into real-time visual, haptic and sonic feedback. Built by Julien and played on stage by Koo. Presented at Gwangju Biennale, IMPACT (Théâtre de Liège) and HOT‑SHOP 14 (ECCO Leather).
Go2 (Unitree) Robotic Performance
Choreographed movements, synchronization with light and audio, custom integrations. Performative projects including stage modules and interactive installations.
Interactive Installations
Real-time controlled stage devices, audio-light synchronization with sensor feedback. Dedicated electronics and firmware for modulations and effects.
Expertise & Stack
Approach
- Discovery — needs, constraints, objectives.
- Design — architecture, schematics, routing.
- Prototype — manufacturing, assembly, testing.
- Industrialization — validation, documentation, transfer.
References
Collaborations, presentations and press coverage.
Brand collaborations
Projects run with brands on custom devices, from design to activation.
Festivals & institutions
Presentations at Mutek (Mexico, Montreal, Tokyo), BIAN Montreal, Gwangju Biennale, Triennale di Milano, Martin Gropius Bau (Berlin, Breathe programme), IMPACT (Théâtre de Liège) and HOT‑SHOP 14 (ECCO Leather).
Residencies & partners
Villa Albertine residency in New Orleans in 2023 around the S.E.L.M. project (Send Everyday Life Movement), with the Matrice institute and the ETHICS lab of the Catholic University of Lille.
Press coverage
The French press calls Koo Des the “techno hacker”. His path is documented on the Villa Albertine residency page.
Contact
Brands, institutions, robotics and AI: let's talk about your project. Quick response.