Reimagining Our Relationship with Music

Mictic is the name of an innovative set of wristbands that enable music lovers of all walks to connect with instruments and other sounds on a much deeper level than what was previously possible. Whether their interests fall in classical, hip-hop, or electronic music, the Swiss-made XR wearable gives users the ability to express themselves through their passions in a more fluid way. Currently being funded on Kickstarter, Mictic has more than doubled its funding goal and is preparing for an international launch. To learn more about how Mictic works, how it fits into the future of musical expression, and how it was created in the first place, we spoke with CEO Mershad Javan.

Can you explain how Mictic works?

Mictic requires two wristbands, a mobile device or tablet, and our associated app. Once they've connected these elements, users will be able to set up all of their features within the app. This includes a wide range of instruments, soundscapes, and games. In the future, there will be endless opportunities when it comes to customization with Mictic.

The device is capable of creating music and sounds of all genres, are there any limitations to its capabilities?

What’s really exciting about this device is just that, there really aren’t many limitations to what it can do. That said, we’re hoping that our early adopters on Kickstarter will share any feedback that they might have with us so that we can truly bridge any gaps that might remain, which we may not have encountered yet. Mictic is great for both first-time musicians and seasoned professionals, and is meant to support them in their creative endeavors.

How have you seen the relationship between music and technology shift in recent years?

Drastically! When we think of how people consume music, it’s completely changed because of its evolving relationship with technology. In addition to making it easier for musicians to connect with the listeners on a more frequent basis, it’s also enabled users to share the content they love in a really seamless fashion.

Who do you see as the target audience for Mictic?

Mictic is an 'Interactive Audio Augmented Reality' device that really can appeal to anyone who’s looking for a new way to experience sounds and movement. That said, I see the device being particularly popular among content creators on social media who are looking to share their artistic expression with their audiences. We’re excited to see how all users interact with the device and share their experiences with it.

What inspired you to launch Mictic in the first place, and what does it mean for the future of music and how people might interact with it?

Our origin comes with a bit of a strange story actually. The inventor, Rolf Hellat, was grabbing a drink with a friend after a game of badminton, and they started discussing how sonically boring the sport is. From there, they thought of how they could enhance it by installing sensors onto the rackets, so that there would be a more explosive sound on impact.

Eventually, this concept was applied to music, and the beats that listeners experience. Being in Switzerland, there are so many amazing engineers who also happen to be involved in sensor fusion engineering. So, taking this original idea and applying it to a more diverse medium with the help of these experts, we were able to recreate that experience in a sense and apply it to all types of musical instruments so that we could bring a whole new dimension to the overall experience and make it that much more satisfying. For us, music is just the beginning. We're also looking into a number of different vertices such as gaming, sports, and fitness.