Ondes Martenot

For some reason Theremins have become di Rigueur in the world of experimental music, circuit benders, and emo bands. There are Theremins, Laser Harps, Thingamajigs... all amounts to Theremania.

All of this attention leaves the poor Ondes Martenot left all alone - even when some of the best pieces of the era had the French cousin of the Theremin instead. Don't get me wrong. I love the Theremin (I built Paia's Theremax, which I think is the best one out there) but I'd love to have an Ondes Martenot. You get that great sound and can find your pitches much more easily.

Here's a nice chamber piece by Martinu. It could be for either instrument, but you'd have to work much harder to play it on the Theremin. It's played here on the Ondes by Thomas Bloch.

ANALOG member Heather Frasch at IRCAM

I just had a quick chat with our longtime friend and ANALOG member Heather Frasch. She's in the middle of a term of study at IRCAM, and taking a sabbatical from her doctoral studies at UC Berkeley.



She gave a quick taste of what it's like studying at the world-famous center for experimental and electronic/computer sound and music.



"I find it stressful." says Heather... To be sure, in our very short conversation, she told me a little about what she was doing. In addition to catching up with friends in Finland and all through France, she's going to a festival in Moscow that's associated with UC Berkeley.



Heather told me that she's been focusing on an artistic and aesthetic level of electronics, since she's been there, but that she really misses writing acoustic music. She will have a good opportunity to combine the two very soon as she begins a major project. Heather is planning a piece for saxophone and electronics, specifically she plans to incorporate sensors for the performer to trigger. "I was thinking of putting an accelerometer on the sax, and then maybe a few triggers on the floor. The saxophonist would move around to play with spacalization and movement of the acoustic source as well as the electronics."



I told her about someone who used Xbee radios with accelerometers on Roller Derby contestants. As they would smash into each other, a sound or light show would be triggered.

http://www.faludi.com/projects/



Heather said that they have a trial for their projects at the end of January to see what works and what doesn't. From there they work on the large project for April.



Other than that, she talked briefly about presentations from researchers, and some of the other people studying there. She is one of three Americans, and she has had a lot of fun working with them. She also had good things to say about Ann Cleare, from Ireland, whose music Heather likes a lot.


Dolf Kamper

George Harrison, "Electronic Sound"

George was the first Beatle to go solo with the soundtrack to Wonderwall in 1968. His second solo album, Electronic Sound, is a pair of experiments on the Moog, neither of which, along with Wonderwall, even hinted at the explosion of brilliant songs that were to come on his third solo album.

1. Under the Mersey Wall
(Recorded in Esher, England in February 1969 with the assistance of Rupert and Jostick, The Siamese Twins)

2. No Time Or Space
(Recorded in California in November 1968 with the assistance of Bernie Krause)