As 2025 wraps up, it’s time to share some of the highlights that shaped this year for me. From research on music technology to creative projects, here’s a snapshot of various creative and academic outputs from this year…
A big thank you to all the amazing collaborators I had the privilege to work with this year!
Research & Publications
January
Started the year with the book chapter ‘Whose D(Art)a is it Anyway?’. Co-written with Kristal Spreadborough and discussing digital ethics in remote music collaboration platforms like BandLab, Endlesss, and Soundtrap. We explored data privacy and user autonomy, issues that matter as creative workflows move online. Read the chapter
April
Published an open-access paper ‘Idiosyncratic Approaches to Electronic Music-Making Through Mobile Technologies’ in Media Practice and Education Journal.
Co-authored with my long-time industry collaborator Nick Wilson, this paper explores the creative and pedagogical potentials of mobile music technologies. Access the article.
May
Joined a global panel at Source Elements’ 20th anniversary conference, reflecting on two decades of remote audio innovation.
June
Went live on ABC Radio Drive with Jenny Marchant to discuss mobile music-making and the expressive power of the iOS synth – Animoog.
July
Presented ‘Crowdsourced Recording Practices in Browser-Based DAWs‘ at the IASPM Biennial Conference in Paris, an incredible gathering of 450 scholars exploring the theme of Recording Popular Music.
November
- Co-facilitated a workshop with the Central Coast Health & Wellbeing Living Lab (Australia) on collaborative music-making for wellbeing and intergenerational connection. Our approach was participant-led. Rather than prescribing what these activities ‘should’ look like, we invited participants to share their own experiences of collaborative and communal music, reflect on what already exists in their communities, and imagine new possibilities together. More info and photos here.
- Joined the academic committee of the IX International Scientific and Methodological Conference on Contemporary Early School and Preschool Pedagogy at the Pomeranian University in Slupsk. Poland. The conference focused on interdisciplinarity, inclusion, and modern cognitive strategies. I also virtually co-presented a paper with Daniel Swiader discussing the role of mobile music touch-screen technologies in creative and developmental activities.
- Published ‘Navigating the Realm of Online Music Creation: Insights from Collaborative Music Contests’, a chapter co-authored with Paul Egglestone and featured in The Elephant’s Leg II book. The book is available as Open Access, and a free download is available here.
Music & Art Projects
January
I finally visited the Australian Music Vault at Arts Centre Melbourne, where my works released as KOshowKO and contributions to Clan Analogue are featured.
March
Between March and September 2025, three of my tracks were featured in the Connecting Commutes project in Braga, Portugal, as part of the Portuguese Capital of Culture Braga 25 programme. Two pieces from iubar project (Renewed Communal Hopes and the newly completed Daylesford Naturalix) were joined by KOshowKO’s Rich Machine in this unique sound initiative.
The project explored ideas of mobility, territory, heritage, landscape, public space, and community. These works accompanied daily journeys inside the buses of TUB – Transportes Urbanos de Braga, turning routine commutes into moments of sonic reflection. For those beyond Braga, the pieces were also available digitally through an online platform.
July
- Swiss premiere of KOshowKO’s Tympan 3 at Ars Electronica Forum Wallis, selected as one of 26 works chosen from submissions by 249 composers across 39 countries.
- Following the Christmas 2024 release of Philosophy of Sound’s single Moonlights on Golden Soul Records from Berlin, the lyric video for this track premiered on YouTube. Perfect for singing along to the instrumental version included with the single. Read more about this release here.
August
- Released my earliest recordings from the late ’90s on Bandcamp: Rycerze Dzieciom (Knights for Children). Dating back to 1997, two of these tracks were recorded with the long-forgotten Quartz Audio Master software and rough acoustic rehearsals captured in mono on tape. Born out of punk philosophy but twisting through hip hop and folk, the release includes three tracks in Polish and one in English. Originally issued as a tiny CD run and shared on MySpace in 2008, it’s finally streaming now with the original booklet. Listen/download here.
- Lesne Echo EP, raw, live traditional Polish folk captured outdoors. Originally recorded in 2023 during my visit to Poland, the tracks preserve the ensemble’s unaltered performance and are now available on Bandcamp and as a physical edition, thanks to Fundacja Maly Kosmos.
September
- Debuted Time Traces, my first gallery installation with Max Schleser, exploring ecocritical themes through mobile media. The exhibition took place in Newcastle, Australia, during the New Annual Festival. Find out more about this exhibition in this blog post.
- Also contributed KOshowKO’s track The Cosmic Book of FM to Clan Analogue’s FM synthesis compilation. Find out more about this release here.
October
- Tympan 3 was featured on the 30th and final (for now) Works for Loud Speakers compilation, alongside an international listening event at the Pyramid Club in Wellington, New Zealand.
- After premiering as part of the Time Traces installation at Watt Space Gallery in Newcastle, Australia, my audio piece Daylesford Naturalix was featured in the Sonic Nomads Festival in Seoul, Korea. This nomadic sound art festival focuses on field recordings and deep listening and is curated by the sound artist collective Transients. This year, Sonic Nomads also included a collaborative programme with the Berlin Listening Biennale.
December
Celebrated Clan Analogue’s 33rd anniversary with a limited-edition 7″ vinyl featuring KOshowKO’s “Neaty + Tidy” and Barbagallo’s “Trek6,” plus an expanded Mobile Strategies compilation and gear zine. Find out more and order the vinyl here.
Looking Ahead
As usual, there are several new projects in the pipeline, including more Philosophy of Sound material. I’m also producing the Stories from the Field compilation album for Clan Analogue recordings, which is expected to be released in 2026. A book project is also on the agenda, with further details to be revealed in due course. Here is to a good new year!
