Marcus Levy-Chance - Sound Designer, Composer, Producer

About

The person behind the work.

Marcus Levy-Chance - Senior Sound Design & Innovation Manager, ROLI

Marcus Levy-Chance is a London-based composer, sound designer, music producer, and video producer - currently Senior Sound Design & Innovation Manager at ROLI, where he played a key role in developing ROLI Airwave, winner of TIME Magazine Best Invention 2025.

As solo artist Synthetic Epiphany, he's released 10+ albums, surpassed 12 million streams, built a following of 500,000+, and earned national airplay on BBC Radio 1, BBC 1Xtra, Kiss FM, and Rinse FM.

"The chances are, if you can think of it, I can make it."

Have a project in mind? Let's work together.

Notable Moment

Designing sounds
for Herbie Hancock.

Marcus designed custom sounds for jazz legend Herbie Hancock's Korg Kronos - a project created in conjunction with ROLI Airwave requiring deep understanding of both the instrument's architecture and Herbie's expressive playing style.

Working at the intersection of jazz tradition and cutting-edge synthesis, the brief demanded sounds that would feel instantly familiar to one of music's greatest pianists, while unlocking entirely new dimensions of expression.

Demonstrating the finished work in person - and watching Herbie Hancock play those sounds live - remains one of the defining moments of Marcus's career.

Korg KronosCustom Sound DesignROLI AirwaveLive Demo

ROLI Airwave · From Prototype to Product

Building the future
of spatial expression.

ROLI Airwave uses infrared cameras to track 27 points across each hand at 90fps, converting gesture into MIDI in real time - letting musicians sculpt sound through movement alone.

Marcus's involvement began long before launch - starting from an early prototype sending raw MIDI CCs via gesture, he developed the entire creative framework for how gesture should translate into sound, designing the majority of the factory sound library.

He worked directly with the software team, suggesting features and improvements to make Airwave as intuitive and magical as possible. The product went on to win TIME Best Invention 2025.

Sound LibraryGesture FrameworkProduct DevelopmentTIME Best Invention 2025

A. R. Rahman · ROLI Airwave × Yamaha Transacoustic

A true hybrid
of piano and gesture.

Custom sound design for A. R. Rahman, built around ROLI Airwave and the Yamaha Transacoustic Grand Piano - blending synthesised and sampled elements controlled entirely through gesture, resonated through the piano's own soundboard.

The result is a genuine electric/acoustic hybrid - gesture-controlled, piano-driven, and built to give one of the world's most celebrated composers an entirely new palette to play with.

Hearing Rahman bring the instrument to life with his own playing, drawing out textures Marcus hadn't quite anticipated, is a moment that's stayed with him ever since.

A. R. RahmanROLI AirwaveYamaha TransacousticSound Design

A. R. Rahman - ROLI Airwave x Yamaha Transacoustic

A. R. Rahman · KM Music Conservatory

Three days in
Chennai, India.

Invited by A. R. Rahman to his KM Music Conservatory in Chennai, Marcus spent three days working directly with students and staff - delivering lectures and hands-on sound design sessions exploring cutting-edge synthesis and expressive instrument design.

The sessions covered everything from sound design fundamentals to advanced ROLI Airwave gesture control, demonstrating how technology can unlock new dimensions of musical expression for emerging musicians.

On the final day, Marcus directed a live performance showcasing everything the students had learned - bringing together composition, improvisation, and technology in front of a live audience.

A. R. RahmanKM Music ConservatoryMasterclassChennai, India