M-PeX

M-PeX is a multi-instrumentalist musician, composer, sound designer, producer, and physics engineer/ researcher (signal-sound-music computing, bio/signal sonification, EEG mapping). The Portuguese guitar defines his musical identity and creates an unique sound that mixes this instrument to the widely distinct sounds of dub, dubstep, trip-hop, and drum'n'bass. His creations aim at modernizing and globalizing this traditional instrument born from Portuguese culture, culminating in a bold and innovative musical melting-pot. Born in Lisbon, Marco Pinheiro Miranda starts, early on, playing Fado accompanying guitar with his grandfather Luis Pinheiro, a Portuguese guitar master, following him in countless Fado clubs and private shows. Soon after, receives from his grandfather his first Portuguese guitar, and with it the technique, and its methods. Enthusiastic about electronic music ever since the beginning, nurturing the idea of launching new sounds and without ever renouncing the Portuguese guitar to the world of Fado, creates in 1999 the artistic name M-PeX, starting mixing Portuguese guitar with this musical universe. The Technological Physics Engineering course at Instituto Superior Tecnico allowed him to reconcile and study the interdisciplinary fusion of two worlds: Music and Physics, in particular the area of musical neuroscience. His master's thesis made it possible to brain mapping the effect of some auditory stimuli (among others monaural and binaural beats), and some musical excerpts on human brainwaves. He dedicates himself to scientific research with areas of interest in signal-sound-music computing, signal processing, EEG mapping, and biosignals sonification. He also collaborates on some research projects: e.g. BraiNSy (sonification of EEG signals recorded during sleep, which until now made possible the recording of the CD album SOMNATIKA - chiptune EEG-based sonification recorded during sleep), McGEA (musical composition using evolutionary genetic algorithms) and 'PolyBrain Sonifier' (a polyphonic real-time brainwave sonifier using a portable EEG headset - BCI, Brain-Computer Interface). In addition to the live performances M-PeX is also dedicated to the composition and production of original soundtracks (authorship and co-authorship), as well as carrying out licensing, arrangements, remixes, sound design, editing, production and post audio production for cinema, television, theater, web, video games, radio, and also studio recording, mixing and mastering. M-PeX, who has been in artistic residency PRALAC at LAC since 2021 is currently engaged in the composition of the forthcoming album of original compositions that incorporates sound programming and Portuguese guitar. In February 2023 within the scope of PRALAC, the album CYNETIK-1 was released, which involved field recordings, sound programming in Csound, and Portuguese guitar. The TV interview Outras Historias: Frequencia M-PeX (RTP) recorded in 2019, expresses and illustrates his path as a musician and researcher. In it he reaffirm the will, motivation, commitment and passion for signal-sound-musical, computational, physical and neuroscientific exploration.

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