Vapour Waves: Synths Powered by Discarded E-cigarettes

Over the past two years, an abundance of e-waste has grown on the streets of Belfast City. Keeping company with the plastic packaging and drinks containers one has grown to expect are so-called disposable vapes or e-cigarettes. This e-waste has a new identity; it exists outside landfill sites and WEEE collection points. This is e-waste as litter! For the digital instrument makers and composer-designers who author this group, this situation illustrates the disconnect many of us hold between what we consume and its means of production. The composite nature of most products renders them and their associated supply chains highly complex. Furthermore, manufacturers must be more forthcoming in highlighting ethical issues in their supply chains. This performance is a small act of resistance. The instruments used are powered by disposable vape batteries, highlighting the value of this rechargeable resource, which we're told to throw away. Doing so opens a space for conversations around the human rights issues at the bottom of the lithium battery supply chain. In the spirit of inclusive musicking, the group invites attendees from the companion NIME 2024 Vapour Waves workshop to perform alongside their bespoke creations as part of a locally-populated, crowdsourced group of performers. The piece is composed with ample space for improvisation. Four short movements showcase the instrument's potential, focusing on harmonic drones, rhythmic interplay, timbral variation and the ability to create tension between control and chaos. The limitations of the technology are productive constraints to be explored. Incorporating the NIME 2024 theme, these Vapour Wave instruments are inherently tactile; they invite touch and physical manipulation. Our 'hybrid world' manifests in the instrument's use of bought and found components.