SAM TOPLEY

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SNOG



SNOG, meaning 'sound, no gender', was an electronic instrument building project to promote and encourage gender equality in music technology practices. Through community workshops held at festivals, libraries and museums, participants explored textile hobby crafts as a means to engage with DIY music technology and experimental music making.

SNOG instruments were made using a sound-making printed circuit board, designed for use with a handcrafted e-textile interface. In the workshops, participants would explore a variety of tools and materials, learning skills such as sewing and soldering, to create new musical instruments with an intent of provoking gender scripts and sex-role stereotypes. Through the process of collaborative crafting and noise making, participants built knowledge and confidence in working with DIY music technology and the workshops had a largely female and non-binary uptake, suggesting such approaches could be a positive tool in balancing the overwhelmingly male field of music technology.

The SNOG workshops were facilitated in collaboration with vocalist and musician Erika and the project was launched at Always the Sun Festival, Guildford in September 2016. Workshops have since been held internationally, at the Museum for Digital Art (MuDA - Zurich) and the Synth Punk Festival at the DIY Space for London. Above, is an example of a SNOG workshop instrument made with conductive pompoms and below, is an instrument made with brightly coloured knitted cords. Both instruments plug into an external speaker and are played by squeezing the textile interface.





SNOG at Always the Sun Festival, September 2016





Erika and Jaca sewing circuits at the Synth Punk Festival, DIY Space for London 22/10/16


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A post shared by Erika (@erifoo) on


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© Sam Topley 2020