Wavelights
6 Years of LED Design
2020 — 2026
Wavelights are animated LEDs that sync up with the music via a microphone. This project started mid 2020 — my way of making lockdown time more interesting. The idea goes back to the roots of my interest in synesthetic club experiences: in the mid-90s I was performing in techno clubs in Frankfurt/Main with my own real-time video software. Between 1999 and 2004 I was part of SONOLUCA, a collective dedicated to interactive video installations and club visuals. A few decades later, the old spark is back in a new form factor — it is incredible how affordable high quality RGB LEDs have become.
2020
Original Blinkie
24× WS2812 LEDs · Arduino-based PCB · 6hr battery
Club Quarantine — a lockdown-inspired version of sound-reactive light. 24× WS2812 LEDs animated by sound captured via an on-board microphone, driven by a custom PCB based on an Arduino UNO inside a 3D-printed housing. The battery lasts around 6 hours on a full charge — blinking to the music doesn't actually consume that much power.
2021
Blinkie-Tube
60 LEDs · metal tube · drop detection
Exploring a new shape to push light output further and bring more dynamic movement into the space. 60 LEDs strung inside a metal tube — the frosted glass gives a smooth, seamless glow but with a satisfying trade-off in intensity. The refined sound algorithm can now detect drops, dimming the lights and pulling back the animation before the beat comes back in.
2022
GlowPop
25× RGB LEDs · 9 patterns · 8 color schemes · 72 animations · up to 24h battery
Where psychedelics meet Winamp — GlowPop is a continuously running animation engine inside one little cube. 25 RGB LEDs bright enough to shine in full daylight, reacting to sound via an on-board microphone. Nine patterns and eight color schemes combine into 72 different animations that cycle over roughly two hours. In its rested state it has a calming, ambient glow; when the music hits, it comes alive. Runs up to 24 hours on an 18650 LiPo battery, or indefinitely off USB power.
2024
Lumicense
12 LEDs · vegan leather · ATtiny85 · LiPo rechargeable
A rechargeable LED necklace that reacts to music, powered by a thin LiPo battery. The vegan leather band carries 12 LEDs with animations and audio analysis controlled by an ATtiny85 microcontroller.
2026 Live on Kickstarter
Lumiband
Music-controlled LED wristband · Bluetooth
The most ambitious project yet. LED wristbands that sync across thousands of units in real time — reacting to music, following a setlist, turning every seat into part of the show. Full Bluetooth app control. Currently live on Kickstarter.
Campaign live now — back us on Kickstarter