Machine Machines is a collective founded by Federico Sali and Giorgio Magalini (Jooepesci), operating at the intersection of electronic music, sound engineering, neuroscience and generative systems. Their practice explores the relationships between music, attention, neurotechnology and artificial intelligence, combining compositional rigor with an experimental and critical approach.

The duo brings together complementary backgrounds: Sali is a sound engineer and producer active in projects such as La Ragazza dello Sputnik, 2Rari, Ohle and Parco Natura Morta, while Magalini is a sound artist with a background in neuroscience, electronic music and performative research. Together, they develop musical systems that balance accessibility, structural clarity and perceptual depth.

Artist in Residence – 40Hz
Residency period: November 8 – 30, 2025
Open Studio: November 17, 2025
Producers: Mamakass (Fabio Dalè & Carlo Frigerio)

Artistic Research within the 40Hz Project

As the final residency of the 40Hz 2025 cycle, Machine Machines represents the culmination of an eight-month research trajectory dedicated to the progressive definition of a shared compositional protocol based on 40Hz and beneficial sub-frequencies.

Across previous residencies, the protocol evolved through multiple stages: from binaural beats and isochronic techniques, to the introduction of rhythmic structures, electronic languages and acoustic instruments, with the aim of investigating the perceptual, physical and cognitive effectiveness of sound. Machine Machines were selected for their ability to integrate and systematize these techniques, bringing them to a new level of technical coherence and compositional accessibility.

During the residency, the duo developed Hocus Focus, a sonic suite built around 40Hz binaural beats, tempered tunings, harmonic patterns familiar to Western listening traditions and custom generative processes. The project investigates the impact of sound on the attentional system, with a specific focus on neurodivergent listeners.

The research addresses sustained attention, cognitive regulation and perceptual integration through a musical writing that remains structured yet fluid, combining ambient and intimate aesthetics with an engineering-oriented approach to sound organization.

Open Studio and Public Research Sessions

On November 17, 2025, during Milano Music Week, the Musical Atelier of Casa degli Artisti hosted the concluding Open Studio of the 40Hz project, featuring Machine Machines’ work developed in residency with Mamakass.

Presented in two listening sessions at 8:00 PM and 9:00 PM, the Open Studio functioned both as a public performance and as a research environment. Audience members were invited to complete scientific questionnaires before and after listening, while a selected sample of participants took part in EEG recordings, actively contributing to the neuroscientific validation of the compositional protocol.

With this final Open Studio, the first phase of the 40Hz project reached its conclusion, marking a significant step in the investigation of sub-frequencies as tools for immersive listening, perceptual modulation and psychophysical wellbeing, through a shared and replicable artistic-scientific framework.