Theremin Thursday for November 25, 2010

Reference: Theremin Thursday Defined

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow US citizens. Relax after your feasts with a little Mozart this evening.

Video: "The Elvira Madigan Concerto" -- The main theme from the "andante" movement of Mozart's piano concerto #21 in C major (K. 467), this piece was used the Swedish film, ELVIRA MADIGAN (1967), hence its designation as "The Elvira Madigan Concerto". In this video, Peter Pringle plays the theme on the Moog Ethervox.







Theremimage: Our Theremin photo this week is a peek at the Ethervox (not the exact item played by Peter Pringle in this week's video, but similar). There is a very nice write-up on this device over at synthfind.com. Note: there are less than 50 of these MIDE-enabled devices in existence!

Theremin Thursday for November 11, 2010

Reference: Theremin Thursday Defined

A weekly collection of links featuring the only instrument that makes electricity sing!

I'm short on time this week, so I'm offering up only one video. Sorry!

Video Exhibit A: Honor the Veterans! -- As today is Veterans Day in the US, I present this video of Thereminist Thomas Grillo playing a United States Service Medley on his Moog Etherwave Pro theremin. Accompaniment provided by the Centenial Concert Band.







Theremimage: Our Theremin photo this week is the bazooka theremin. Yes. A bazooka wired up to work like a theremin. Pretty cool, huh?

Theremin Thursday for October 14, 2010

Reference: Theremin Thursday Defined

A weekly collection of links featuring the only instrument that makes electricity sing!

Video Exhibit A: Human Theremin! -- It's a Halloween costume. It's a DIY Theremin. It's both! NerdKits has complete instructions for making the ultimate in wearable instruments. And there's still time to order yours and be the cool kid at your neighbor's costume party. Check out the video! (Hat tip to Hack A Day).






Exhibit B: BOWW Tribal Poetry -- Electronic, rhythmic, and other instruments provide the score for a poetry slam in Berlin. Barbara Buchholz plays Theremin.






Video Exhibit C: Jean Michel Jarre -- Jean Michel Jarre plays a Theremin at the O2 Arena London on 10/10/10 as part of his 2010 World Tour.






Theremimage: Our Theremin photo this week is another look at the Human Theremin controls (or is this Spider-Man webbing controls?).

Endnote: Repeating this from last week (yes, I'm really that big on this show) -- If you're interested in catching a live Theremin performance, and you're going to be in the Bucks County, PA, area for the Halloween weekend, you should consider coming to Sellersville Theater 1894 for The Divine Hand's 3rd annual Halloween concert.

Theremin Thursday for June 24, 2010

Time for another round of Theremin Thursday links. This week, I have found six different videos featuring the Theremin -- or thereminesque sounds -- for your enjoyment:

• Bazooka Theremin -- It's just what it sounds like: a bazooka rigged to play as a theremin! (Drastic measures, anyone?). The video is all too brief, but if you are a fan of recycling, then it's a must-see.
  


• A "Cold War" Theremin -- Not a classic Theremin, but an analogy synth device stuffed inside a Swedish military flashlight from the 1960s.
  
  
• A live psychedelic trance set by Multiman. Gear includes an opto Theremin, speak & spell circuit bending, atari 2600, etc. How often does a Theremin make a rave appearance?
  
  
• "I am Locutus" -- Interesting mashup of audio and video with Theremin, Drums, and footage from ... Star Trek! If there is a subliminal message here, it's probably, "Resistance is futile!"
  
  
• "Carnivore IV" by Carbon Dioxide Orchestra. Get ready for some serious noise (and a host of interesting pen and ink drawings). See if you can hear Toto's "Rosanna" playing in the background of the recording. Credits -- Bill Valdez: Dry Ice on Copper Sheet; Leroy Jaramillo: Violin, Vocals; Dave Dixon, Samples and Loops; Victoria Lundy, Theremin.


• Speak & Spell Music -- I already posted this footage on Monday, but I figure Pete Edwards talk about his love of "circuit bending" fits well with the Theremin theme. Enjoy!
  

Our picture this week is an Opto Theremin crafted by Stephen Daveloose. I love the Giant Ant Attack graphic on this thing!
You can see this bad boy in action on Daveloose's demo page (scroll down to "Theremin D").

Theremin Thursday for June 17, 2010

Yes, it's already Friday. But I still have to archive the Theremin Thursday links I tweeted earlier on Thursday. This week, we have four offerings for the discerning Theremin fan:

• Xbox and Theremin? -- @Lux_Seeker, by way of @MarkMosher, tweeted the URL to an interesting story posing Kinect as possibly the "perfect video Theremin interface." Apparently it was unveiled at E3 this week.
  


• The Therenana --The Therenana banana Theremin is described as “hobby electronics gone wrong.” That's probably not too far from the truth, but I still think this fruit is a pretty cool gadget!
  
  
• "Geometry" by Rupert Chappelle -- Mr. Chappelle returns to my weekly Theremin compilation with one of several recordings titled "Geometry." As per usual, he plays Harrison Instruments Model 302.
  


• "Recalcitrance" -- Australian born Singapore recording artist Shueh-li Ong performs a song from her first CD at the the Esplanade. In this piece, Ong plays Theremin alongside the Artsylum Quartet. According to the YouTube description, this "could arguably be the 1st theremin and string quartet performance in Singapore and at" this venue.
  

To close this post, here is a photo of a sweet Theremin crafted by @sarcasymptote:

Flying V Theremin is an epic win!

Theremin Thursday for June 3, 2010

I have tweeted #ThereminThursday links, and then collected them here, for two weeks in a row. I must really be on a roll!

This week, we have seven offerings for the discerning Theremin fan:

• Jean Michel Jarre - Theremin Memories -- The amazing synth artist Jean Michal Jarre playing Theremin, live, in Athens.
  


• "Nuclear Monkey Wrench" by Rupert Chappelle -- Chappelle is featured in so many videos, I selected this one solely for the tune's name. (Monkeys FTW). Just like in last week's vid, Chappelle plays the Harrison Instruments Model 302 Theremin.
  
  
• "Besamo Mucho" by Dorit Chrysler -- The beautiful and talented Ms. Chrysler plays theremin and sings on this track. Recorded live at The Stone in NYC. (I think I'm in love).
  


• Heavy Metal Theremin? -- Guy runs his new Theremin through a bunch of his FX. He makes the damn thing ROAR (and that is pretty metal, right?).
  


• "Saturday Matinee" by ZenTherStick -- Retro styling of this tune is reminiscent of the 50s and 60s film (cult) classics that featured the spooky Theremin!
  


• "Doctor Who Theme" by ArcAttack -- My personal favorite this week. In this clip, a DJ plays Doctor Who's theme song on GIANT TESLA COILS. It is electrifying!
  
  
• Droid Does ... Theremin? -- In this clip, a guy uses a coin to interact with the magnetic field generated by an HTC Droid. Portable theremin, anyone?

Would you like to own a Theremin? Theremin World has a coupon code for 15% off Moog Etherwave theremins and kits at InstrumentPro.com -- visit http://www.Thereminworld.com/shop_theremins.asp

Now, let's see a still from that awesome Doctor Who/Tesla bit:

Does he do birthday parties??

Theremin Thursday for May 27, 2010

For your ethereal enjoyment, I offer the following links:

• Etherwave Case Mod --The equivalent of neon running lights on a hot rod. I kid you not.
  
  


• "Fool Me Once, Shame On You" by Rupert Chappelle -- A little avant-garde piece with Chappelle playing the Harrison Instruments Model 302 Theremin.
  
  


• Good Times With a Theremin In Public -- I guess this is some kind of science/art/performance installation. I'm guessing.
  
  


• "Time Machine" -- Johnny Quazar & the Swingbots performing live
  
  


• Loisan - Deep Dreams (Original Mix) --Techno music flavored with a bit of theremin
  
  


• Junction attention! -- Improvisational performance by a five piece band with theremin, piano, guitar, cello, and Erhu

Frankentheremin is alive! ALIVE!!

Theremin Thursday for March 25, 2010

For several weeks now, I've taken to posting Theremin links every Thursday -- hence, "Theremin Thursday" (or, #ThereminThursday) -- via Twitter. I've now decided to share them here on Confessions as well. At the very least, it will serve as something of an archive. At best, it might expand the audience for the Theremin.

So, let's have it it with this week's entries ...

• "Rockin' Chair on the Moon" by Men into Space: Rockabilly tune with theremin in the lead break

• "Apres un Reve"performed by Prhymx: This is a Guitar (Ikuo Mitani) and Theremin (Yoko Onishi) duet. The Theremin is a Wavefront Classic by Wavefront Technologies

• "The Swan" performed by Frank J. Hampton <-- It's a little shaky, but good

• Stella Artois Beer ad w/ Theremin <-- classic B&W footage of Clara Rockmore playing Tchaikovsky on the Theremin

Here is a Wavefront Classic (Photo from Theremin World):

Isn't it a beauty?