Sunday, 19 June 2011

Saw: The Musical?


Who would of thought that a Saw not only cuts wood.... but makes music too. 


 

Although, it kind of sounds like it should be from a scene from some psychological thriller. Imagine...

As our heroine sits, gagged and tied by hand and feet to a chair. She watches in fear as the man she trusts (well trusted) climb up back into the attic with a saw. The victim tries to escape, but stops when this man sits down and starts to create music from this Saw. Chilling as it is, he is playing her favourite song, she begins to relax.

The man stops, turns, smiles eerily and the torture commences....




If you want to learn to play the saw I have sourced a tutorial. If you want to buy one click buy.

Thursday, 9 June 2011

Transparent Music


Japanese company Hario Glass Co. Ltd developed a range of glass instruments including; a cello, a violin and a keyboard. The first of their kind each instrument is hand blown from a single piece of heat resistant glass. Each piece is hand painted and the results are aesthetically stunning. 

Violins and Cellos are often perceived to be delicate instruments, making the use of glass as a construction material quite fitting. Playing these transparent materials surely must provide the user with a feeling of creating music from air? 

Of course, the users must also be shit scared that if they drop their instruments they will shatter into a million pieces. Transporting the thing must be a bugger too, in constant fear of it smashing and at the least, acquiring a chip in the body.


The glass instruments have been criticised for the sound they produce;

 'It does not have the same depth as say a cello made from maple'
(Some comment made by someone on some post elsewhere)

Well yea of course it won't sound the same; the qualities of glass compared to maple are so different. Instead the fact that a new sound can be produced from these instruments should be celebrated and explored. OK the sound does lack warmth to its tone however, it does create a metallic sound that is individual and unique in it's own right. This exploration of using different materials for such traditional instruments is definitely exciting! 

Monday, 6 June 2011

(Concerning my views on Drum and Bass) Alex Clare changed the way I writhe on the floor.



Drum and Bass, Dubstep, Heavy Basslines and epic drops... I'm not a lover, I also don't understand the difference between them. When my Drum n Bass Junkie housemate asks to borrow my speakers, I swear he can feel the heavy tug of reluctance and resistance I give handing them over, only because I know he will be 'dropping' them heavy Basslines the house at full blast and I will be writhing on the floor in faux pain and real disgust.

That is until a few months ago when Alex Clare played at a local venue. Oh My God. This man had this like voice, and as much as it frustrates me to make this comparison (this may have something to do with the fact the guy ain't so tall and he wears a hat and has some stubble on his face), he kinda struck me as a kind of less pure, coarser but still gorgeously soulful and beautiful Matt Cardle.

Alex Clare layers his voice over some very obvious basslines, technically I should of turned up my nose, but I didn't. I bloody loved it!