TYG: A Couch Co-Op Musical Instrument in UE5

Although there are numerous musical instruments that can be played by more than one player, a far smaller number of musical instruments have been specifically designed for multiple players, most notably the music-focussed multi-touch tables presented at the NIME conferences. While multi-player video game spaces have expanded more dramatically, we note the continued, parallel existence of local multiplayer titles. TYG, a virtual instrument for three players in a shared physical space, draws together ideas from both fields, as well as feminist theorist Donna Haraway (1985). Challenging the conceptualisation of musical instruments as extensions of human capabilities, what emerges is neither strictly collaborative nor competitive, but more akin to David Tudor’s live electronics instruments of the 1960s, where influence and exploration are enjoyed without control.