From the US and Australia to Tokyo, Israel, and Berlin, musicians and DJs used the Leap Motion Controller to tweak and transform music in a whole new way. By reaching above the device in studios, concert halls, and dance clubs, they were able to interact directly with music streams and create whole new sounds. Just in time for the New Year, here are the top six Leap Motion music videos of 2013.

Two-Handed Live Orchestra

Can one person play an entire live orchestra with only two hands? Using GecoMIDI, Hagai Davidoff – an Israeli film and theater composer, producer, and arranger – was able to dynamically control the flow of a full classical ensemble through natural hand and finger movements.

Classical Piano Reimagined

Yehezkel Raz is a classically trained musician with a passion for electronic music. Over the last 10 years, he’s been experimenting with new ways to integrate the piano with live electronic instruments and computers. During a live piano performance in September, he collaborated with electronic musician Danski to create a fusion of classic and electronic sounds – tweaking and distorting classical notes with Leap Motion technology.

Biometric Beatboxing with Humanelectro

After his early beatboxing experiment with the Leap Motion Controller, Ryo Fujimoto took his work with touchless technology to a bigger stage. At a live event in Tokyo called ∑(SIGMA), he created live audio and visuals from electrical sensors hooked to his body, which tracked his heart rate and muscle movements – along with the Leap Motion Controller, which tracked his finger positions in real time.

Drop the Bass with Leap Motion Dubstep

This live remix performance from Jerusalem producer and DJ Uriel Yehezkel also features GecoMIDI’s power and versatility in a variety of genres. “You can really feel the parameters you’re changing with your hands. You can flow with the music and express it with your body. Controlling more than 10 parameters simultaneously with both hands provides you with full control over the construction of the song, the emotion, and the energy.” Read more »

DJ SelArom Reaches into the Beat

Electronic musician DJ SelArom uses the Leap Motion music app GecoMIDI to create a fluid, expressive sound. “Whether you’re playing your own music or playing someone else’s music, it’s a written track. It’s a done deal, it’s going to come out the way it was produced. Leap Motion lets you add a layer on top of that – so that every time you do it, it’s going to be different. You’re not just controlling the music, you’re now part of the music.” Read more »

Tokyo DJ’s Album Created with Leap Motion

Released in October, industrial artist Aliceffekt’s retro-futuristic ambient album Telekinetic was the first known album release created with the Leap Motion Controller as its main instrument. You can see him in action with at Tokyo Indie Dance Party in the video below or listen to the album on Aliceffekt’s website.

“I’ve always liked the idea of conducting music, weaving the music in midair,” he says. “This was impossible with the previous tools I had tried. I never really understood the appeal of twisting knobs of laptop shows. I have been scratching my head for a while, trying to get out of this boring image of the modern day music programmer.” Read more »

Want to start your own music creation journey with the Leap Motion Controller? It all starts in the Airspace Store’s music and entertainment category – where you can find everything from virtual instruments like Chordion Conductor and AirBeats to professional-grade tools like GecoMIDI.

What’s your favorite musical moment of 2013? Tweet us @LeapMotion, post on our Facebook page, or join the chorus on our 2013 retrospectacular forum thread.

Imagine reaching into a song and tweaking it with your fingers, without anything getting in the way. In our latest spotlight video, electronic musician DJ SelArom shows how it’s possible with the Leap Motion Controller and GecoMIDI.

GecoMIDI is a powerful music app that gives musicians like DJ SelArom the power to reach out and control the flow of their music. Designed for live performance and quick configuration by music professionals, it allows each hand to access a wide variety of customizable control streams. GecoMIDI with Leap Motion control works alongside DJ SelArom’s existing setup – augmenting traditional controls to create something new.

Moving his hands above the device, DJ SelArom is able to create a smooth electro-industrial sound without touching anything. It’s a fluid, expressive way to make music with natural hand movements:

Whether you’re playing your own music or playing someone else’s music, it’s a written track. It’s a done deal, it’s going to come out the way it was produced. Leap Motion lets you add a layer on top of that – so that every time you do it, it’s going to be different. You’re not just controlling the music, you’re now part of the music.

How do you like to express your creativity with the Leap Motion Controller? Let us know on Facebook and Twitter.

Since July, we’ve seen lots of innovative performances from musicians using the Leap Motion Controller. This weekend, Uriel Yehezkel followed up from his last performance created with GecoMIDI and Leap Motion to drop the bass on some dubstep. Check it out in the video below:

A producer and DJ from Jerusalem, Yehezkel favors slick, cinematic mixes that can make your hair stand on end. Like many musicians who have worked with the Leap Motion Controller, Yehezkel says that 3D interaction adds a whole new element to his rig. When you combine traditional tools with the expressive capacities of the Leap Motion Controller, “you won’t leave your studio for a week.”

"You can really feel the parameters you’re changing with your hands. You can flow with the music and express it with your body. Controlling more than 10 parameters simultaneously with both hands provides you with full control over the construction of the song, the emotion, and the energy.”

GecoMIDI has quickly become a popular choice among digital musicians for its power and versatility. Designed for live performance and quick configuration during rehearsal, it provides a bridge between the Leap Motion Controller and music setups.

What do you think about the possibilities for Leap Motion and live music control? Post your thoughts on our Facebook page or let us know on Twitter.

Can one person play an entire live orchestra with only two hands? Using the Leap Motion Controller, GecoMIDI, and a keyboard, Hagai Davidoff was able to dynamically control the flow of a full classical ensemble through natural hand and finger movements in the air. Check out how he did it in the video below.

Whether you’re a professional musician working with GecoMIDI, or a music lover who just loves to play a virtual keyboard or jam on air drums, you’ll discover lots of great music apps in the Airspace Store. Want to show us your Leap Motion-powered music video? Tweet us @LeapMotion or post on our Facebook page.