Diogo Carriço’s latest single Manifesto is an intricate fusion of piano performance, gesture-controlled synthesis, and experimental electronic production. Built around the Disklavier—a computer-controlled acoustic piano—the track opens with cascading piano phrases, glitching in and out of rhythmic precision before giving way to a synth-led section full of dynamic stabs, shifting timbres, and syncopated momentum.
Throughout the track, Carriço plays with contrast and convergence. The acoustic and the synthetic co-exist, often blurring into each other. While the right hand navigates the keys, the left hand uses Leap Motion sensor data to manipulate sound in real time, controlling parameters through his custom software Qi. This dual physical interface—one analog, one gestural—adds complexity to the composition, allowing layers of sound to build and morph with intentional unpredictability.
The piano is treated unconventionally, shifting between glitched note flurries and percussive muted tones, occasionally augmented by digital effects that stretch its identity. Vocal interjections via talkbox briefly pierce the mood, offering sudden shifts in atmosphere. The result is a composition that feels cinematic and physically engaged while also remaining rooted in structural experimentation.
“Manifesto” is part of Carriço’s broader artistic practice, which explores the boundaries between human and machine interaction in music. Influenced by visual and theoretical references including Ghost in the Shell and the aesthetics of digital abstraction, his work evokes both technical precision and emotional curiosity.
The track is available now and forms part of an evolving narrative that positions Diogo Carriço as one of the more distinctive voices in post-digital performance art.
