Tin Men and the Telephone: the jazz band you control with a smartphone

Deepening past attempts by bands to incorporate mobile technology into live shows, the Dutch trio’s new app lets you set the tempo of their gig – and even improvise an instrumental based on a Donald Trump speech

‘There’s one great app for your mobile phone that can enhance any live show,” said someone on Twitter a few years ago. “It’s called the off button.” Seeing other people photographing, filming, texting, tweeting, Instagramming or taking selfies at gigs can be an annoyance to anyone who wishes to enjoy the moment.

However, the social stigma of getting your phone out at a concert hasn’t stopped dozens of artists from using smartphone technology to try to turn gigs into interactive occasions. Imogen Heap has used apps that encourage the audiences to manipulate her onstage movements, helping her to generate sounds and music. Artists such as Years & Years, Passion Pit, Dan Deacon, the xx and Childish Gambino have developed applications to try to enhance the concert experience, while the Berklee School of Music in Boston pioneered a project that turned an audience into an orchestra of smartphones. Most famously, Coldplay got Brian Eno to develop a smartphone app for them, Hypnotised, that generates a unique accompanying melody when the song of the same name is played. They have also supplied gig-goers with interactive “Xylobands” that change colour and flash at set points during a gig.