Mingyu (Ben) Jin is an innovative composer, sound artist, and performer whose work merges acoustic performance, electronic sound design, and real-time visual media. Their music spans genres such as electroacoustic, no-wave, metal, rock, pop, and symphonic music, with a strong emphasis on atmosphere, color, and interdisciplinary expression rooted in personal and emotional experience.
Their recent research focuses on audio visualization, using Max/MSP and Jitter, as well as TouchDesigner, to create environments where sound is translated into evolving visual forms in real time. By blending acoustic and electronic elements with live-generated imagery, Mingyu crafts immersive, multisensory performances that explore identity, perception, and emotional resonance.
Their most recent interdisciplinary work, Noise Cosmic, explores the intersection of real-time audio visualization and experimental noise improvisation. The piece integrates TouchDesigner, Max/MSP, and no-input mixing to create a fully immersive audio-visual experience. Audio signals—whether from no-input mixers or internally generated sounds within Max—are analyzed and translated into evolving visual environments through custom-built TouchDesigner patches. These visuals respond dynamically to sonic input via Open Sound Control (OSC), enabling the system to visualize any sound source in real time.
Inspired by the improvisational noise practices of Joo Won Park and the atmospheric intensity of underground techno venues, Noise Cosmic investigates the tension between randomness and structure in both sound and image. While accessible to anyone interested in immersive sonic environments, the piece primarily targets music technologists and experimental musicians, offering both a toolset and an experience that bridges generative art, noise performance, and real-time digital media.
Mingyu is also the drummer and co-manager of the no-wave band Rope/Mang. Their fragmented, noise-forward drumming style abandons traditional rhythmic structures in favor of raw sonic texture and intensity. They have recorded 12 pieces with the group and coordinate the band’s live performances and artistic collaborations.
They are currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Computer Music at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, studying with Sam Pluta. Looking ahead, Mingyu aims to deepen their exploration of cross-modal performance systems that fuse sound, image, movement, and emerging technologies into unified and transformative artistic experiences.