Rochus Keller turns MIDI organ pedals into expressive drumming tool

In a viral post on LessWrong, Jeff Kaufman highlights Rochus Keller's innovative approach to foot drumming: using MIDI organ pedals instead of traditional kick drum pedals. Keller has developed a technique that leverages the keyboard-like feel of organ pedals, allowing for horizontal movement and a broader palette of 17 virtual drums. Videos show Keller playing musical, coherent pieces with only two feet, achieving a full sound that contrasts with the stamping motion of regular pedals. The approach requires adjusting to no rebound and horizontal navigation but offers a new expressive dimension.

Kaufman, a musician himself, sees this as part of a larger trend of underutilizing body parts in music, similar to how mouths are often ignored beyond singing. The tech-oriented community on Hacker News spotted the post, bringing Keller's experiments to a wider audience. While not a mainstream AI development, this creative use of MIDI technology and novel input mapping resonates with tech-savvy readers interested in human-computer interaction and musical expression. The post includes multiple video examples and commentary on the potential for feet in music.