I accidentally erased my entire blog when I was trying to fix the stupid broken WordPress script installation. I am restoring it one post at a time, but it might take a while. Thanks for your patience.
Highlights
The Best Way to Make Cassette Tape Loops
Published on October 13, 2010
by Alison
An ordinary cassette tape can easily be altered so that it just loops the same section of tape over and over. These tapeloops/loop tapes follow the grand tradition of reel-to-reel tape splicing that has been used throughout the past 50 years by artists ranging from Delia Derbyshire and Terry Riley to countless hip-hop producers. When [...]
The “Noriega Surprise”
Published on September 22, 2010
by Alison
This is a very simple yet effective rehousing of an unexpectedly cool circuit. It came from this miniature (but fully functional) electric guitar that Michael’s punk friend rebelliously shoplifted from a Toys R Us when they were in high school. Michael used to like to play it by making feed back into its own speaker, [...]
Animal Roar Box, in memory of Hepatitis Monkey
Published on April 3, 2010
by Alison
Though housed in a dignified-looking cigar box, this instrument is capable of emitting bloodcurdling shrieks and roars reminiscent of one of the most disturbing places I’ve ever been: the medical quarantine house at the National Zoo. A friend of my parents is a zookeeper and when I was a kid he once took my sister [...]
The Worm Drone Box
Published on January 27, 2010
by Alison
This toy conjures beautiful, rich -sounding progressions reminiscent of the analog synth and sequencer magic performed by Terry Riley in Poppy Nogood’s heyday. That may be somewhat hyperbolic, but it’s awesome. Here’s a video of Michael playing it:
The Hysteria Drum
This toy started out looking like it had little potential but eventually proved itself to be pretty cool.
This is largely because of the matrix of 35 LED’s that it has and the insane stuff that they do when the toy is glitching out. Read more »
The Space Saucer
Edit, 3/3/10: This instrument is featured in the song “Snowshoe Lullabye” from our newly released Live CDR. (Click here to visit the page on our web site where you can read about and download this and many other songs.)
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Space Saucers! High-frequency photosensitive sine wave oscillators!
The Space Saucer sounds sort of like a theremin and emits a sinewave whose pitch depends on how much light is shined on it. You can play it with a flashlight, or in an environment where there is already light, you can let the light shine on it and manipulate the pitch by covering it and uncovering it with your hand at different distances. It can make some crazy crazy noises… bloodcurdling shrieks and wails… especially through effects. Read more »