OX

Romain Tardy & Hand Coded · a machine that feels music · 2014 – 2017 · Tour, France

Our role Concept of the sensitive machine, AI, electronics, light and LEDs, touring.

The first machine sensitive to music: a DJ stage made of moving LED structures, driven by an artificial intelligence that listens to the live mix and decides what to show, when and how. A semi-generative system that follows the artist’s design while keeping control of the image.

We designed the audio-reactive concept with Romain Tardy, then developed the music-analysis AI, the electronics and the light animation. Two hundred graphic elements combine in real time according to the energy, tempo and mood of the track: no two nights look alike, and the DJ drives the installation without thinking about it. The whole thing sets up and strikes in a few hours, for a club tour.

Sven Väth, Derrick May, Max Cooper, Apparat and Vitalic played on OX, among some forty DJs and artists.

Designed from 2014 and launched in 2015 at the Palais de Tokyo at a private party, with Agoria on the decks, OX was produced by Tetro for The Absolut Company Creation and toured France for a year and a half, in more than fifteen venues: La Gaîté Lyrique, Nuit Blanche Paris on the Pont des Invalides, Trabendo, L’UBU, Zig Zag Club, L’Envers Club, Le Sucre, La Sirène, La Belle Électrique, Badaboum, Le Bikini, Calvi on the Rocks, Big Festival in Biarritz, R2 in Marseille, Nuits Fauves, Nuits Sonores in Lyon.

Credits

• Artist Romain Tardy
• Audio-reactive concept Cyril Laurier, Maya Benaïnous
• AI, music analysis and electronics Cyril Laurier
• Light animation Maya Benaïnous
• Tempo detection (aubio) Paul Brossier
• Printed circuit boards Tom Magnier
• Structures, technical study and construction Studio Julien Carretero
• Agency Tetro
• Patronage The Absolut Company Creation
• DJs and artists Sven Väth, Derrick May, Max Cooper, Apparat, Vitalic, Agoria, Breakbot, Joe Goddard (Hot Chip), Kiasmos, James Shaw (Simian Mobile Disco), Soul Clap, Mykki Blanco, Joris Delacroix, Kartell, Bambounou, Moscoman, Margaret Dygas, Marek Hemmann, Mathias Kaden, Applescal, Irfane, FunkinEven, La Mverte, Clara Moto, Arandel, Zimmer, Saint WKND, Ben Vedren, Maurizio Schmitz, Monkey Maffia, Jean Tonique, Alejandro Paz, Gordon, Almeeva, Dresde, K!SSY, The Deep Brothers, JDLM

Press

• “Hand Coded is hiding behind all your favourite installations.” Vice France, 2015
• “The man who made the machine sensitive.” Le Monde
• “A sensitive machine, created at the initiative of The Absolut Company Creation, that analyses the DJ’s mix in real time.” L’ADN, 2016
• “Rennes could pride itself on hosting a national and world exclusive: the OX project. The DJ drives the installation.” Unidivers, 2016
• Libération, 2016 · Brain Magazine, 2016 · Tsugi, 2016 · France 3, 2016

Photos

Updated November 13, 2026