Galaga's Ghost
A six-player musical arcade machine, and a dance party waiting to happen.
On view · Pearl St. Mall · Aug 28-30
How to play
- Grab a station — up to six people can play at once.
- Buttons trigger loops, or notes. <b>There are no wrong notes.</b>
- Joystick and distance sensors shape the sound, try them out and listen!
- Listen to what everyone else is doing and jam along.
- It runs continuously. Stay as long as you like.
Galaga's Ghost is a six-player musical arcade cabinet. Six people play at once, and nobody has to know how to play anything — the instrument handles the musicianship so the players can focus on the exploration.
Each station acts as its own MIDI device feeding into an Ableton Live Set.
It was built in 2021 for Convivial Machines at the Museum of Boulder, in collaboration with Boulder Experiments in Art and Technology (B.E.A.T.).
Rebuilt from the ground up in 2026 — new cabinet, new electronics, and a 6.1 sound system, so the low end is felt as much as heard.
Credits
2026 rebuild: Jiffer Harriman, with carpentry by Marc Seyfirth. 2021 build with Sean Winters, Chase Stewart, Spencer Arrasmith, Eric Atencio, Torin Hopkins and Marc Seyfirth, through B.E.A.T.
Shown
- Museum of Boulder, Oct 2021 – Jan 2022
- Boulder Experiments in Public Art, 2026
- Tulagi Festival, 2026
Get in touch
Want to bring Galaga's Ghost to your event, or make music for the Ghost? Get in touch!