Eighty years ago, the city of Apeldoorn was liberated by Canadian forces. In both Apeldoorn and Ontario, Canada, two statues now stand, waving to each other across the Atlantic — a symbolic gesture that represents more than just history. For many, including ourselves, the true meaning of remembrance lies not just in the monuments, but in the connection they represent. A shared moment. A digital wave of memory.
With our podcast series Far Out, we wanted to explore how to bring that connection — that act of remembering — into today’s world, using the tools and technologies of the digital age. How do we translate the joy and weight of freedom, celebrated eight decades ago, into something modern, alive, and eternal? We explored the world of live coding for answers.
Freedom in Code
In a special edition of our Far Out podcast Freedom ’45, we dove into the global world of live coding, connecting artists from the Netherlands and Canada in a powerful, cross-border digital jam session. But what exactly is live coding?
Live coding is a form of real-time artistic expression where artists write and manipulate code to create music and visuals live, often in front of an audience. It’s not just performance, it’s transparency. The crowd sees the code as it’s written, hears its output, and experiences the raw, unfiltered process of creation. For us, this open and collaborative method of making art felt like the perfect metaphor for freedom: unpredictable, expressive, and deeply communal.
Far Out: Freedom ’45 – The Event
On April 17, 2025, exactly 80 years after the liberation of Apeldoorn, we recorded a live podcast event at Gigant, Apeldoorn’s pop venue. Our host Bart den Ouden, brought together live coders from around the world to reflect on the meaning of freedom — not just historically, but personally, artistically, and digitally.
The evening blended live coding sets, conversations, and improvisations, closing with a joint jam session between Canadian and Dutch live coders.
Meet the Artists
Here’s a look at the live coders who made Freedom ’45 a sonic, visual journey:
- Alex MacLean (Sunntack) – A live AV artist from Hamilton, Canada, Alex merges experimental sound and reactive visuals through custom-built performance systems. His work explores themes like speculative futures and human ecology.
- Marcel Wierckx – A Dutch-Canadian sound and video artist who pushes the boundaries of algorithmic composition and improvisation. As a lecturer at HKU and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, Marcel helps shape the future of live coding.
- Sebastian Pappalardo (eerieear) – Hailing from Argentina, currently living in the Netherlands, Sebastian is a multimedia artist specialising in generative visuals and algorithmic soundscapes. With a focus on code as both tool and medium, he transforms complexity into expressive live experiences.
- Wilbert Vogel (Lil’ Bleep) – A Dutch live coder and digital artist known for weaving improvisation with club culture and experimental aesthetics, crafting audiovisual narratives in real time.
Far Out: Freedom ’45 is a project by Stichting Frequenzy and Studio Mojo Dojo, made possible with the support of:
- Gemeente Apeldoorn
- Poppodium Gigant
- V-Fonds
- Mojo Dojo
The full Freedom ’45 podcast episode is now available on all major streaming platforms. And the collaboration doesn’t stop here — the next two episodes of Apeldoorn and Burlington, Canada, will be online soon.
