Kaffe Matthews

Born in Essex and based in Berlin, she studied zoology before discovering electronic music through an acid house recording studio in Nottingham. Drawn to computer glitches and unexpected sound rather than conventional rhythm, she developed a practice spanning live electronics, site-specific performance, and installation. In 2005 she invented the Sonic Bed, a vibrating furniture interface for spatial listening, later expanding to sonic bikes and benches. Her 2004 collaboration Weightless Animals received a BAFTA, and she was awarded an Award of Distinction at Prix Ars Electronica 2006. She was the first woman to hold the Edgar Varèse guest professorship in computer music at TU Berlin.