NONCOMPETE explores the relationship between humans, computers and programs; placing the viewer inside a physicalisation of an algorithmic musical computer program. This raises questions about our relationship with code and the digital world.

The work explores acoustic spatialisation, algorithmic composition, and the border between the digital and physical world. The sound design consists of highly articulate robotic acoustic instruments which push the acoustic sound world into a post human range.

Musically the work explores the mimicry of human musicianship; mimicry of natural sounds and soundscapes; and acoustic renditions of computer code. NONCOMPETE is a reflection on the idea that digital technology is a new life that we are currently gestating and though it is made by us and reflects our development the point where technology has agency and its own agenda is inevitable.

The technical goal of these instruments is to achieve a design feature unprecedented by other musical robots with regards to a specific technical potential, for example, the harmonic string actuators, that electromagnetically bow harmonics of guitar strings, creating the ability to play a wide variety of tones from one sting without making any contact with said string.

The designs include 60 small object shakers, 16 harmonic string actuators, 116 hammered miniature tubular bells, 180 pipe drums and a flip dot display with 1024 moving pixels. The work was commissioned by The Substation (Melbourne, Australia) and premiered in August 2018.