theremin

http://www.hispasonic.com/comunidad/tv.php <- 2008 Ether Music Festival footage

I recently saw a group referred to as "The Variable Theremin Project".  This group had two dancers onstage, one wired to the Theremin's Amplitude (volume) control and the other to the pitch control.  The dance floor was also wired to respond to the movement of the dancers.  This way the dancers controlled the sounds created by the Theremin with their movements.  there was also a small ensemble (strings and percussion) which accompanied the Theremin music created by the dancers.  The instrumental accompaniment was entirely improvised

For all it SOUNDS like it would be a really cool way to use this technology the actual outcome was pretty horrible.  The Theremin just made bloops and bleeps and the improvisation was a mess that added nothing to nothing.  Oh Well, better luck next time.

Syzygy wrote: Portishead used it on Dummy.

No, they didn't – it's a Roland SH101synthesizer. I think they've also used Minimoogs to recreate it live. Adrian Utley talks about it here.

I've no idea what synth was used to play "Theremin" on the track Humming on Portishead.

ComposeR wrote: I recently saw a group referred to as "The Variable Theremin Project".  This group had two dancers onstage, one wired to the Theremin's Amplitude (volume) control and the other to the pitch control.  The dance floor was also wired to respond to the movement of the dancers.  This way the dancers controlled the sounds created by the Theremin with their movements.  there was also a small ensemble (strings and percussion) which accompanied the Theremin music created by the dancers.  The instrumental accompaniment was entirely improvised For all it SOUNDS like it would be a really cool way to use this technology the actual outcome was pretty horrible.  The Theremin just made bloops and bleeps and the improvisation was a mess that added nothing to nothing.  Oh Well, better luck next time.

they actually have a homepage:
http://www.mohadafasta.com/vtc.html
no videos available there yet, but they promise to upload some soon


Edited by BaldJean - June 04 2008 at 05:38

Syzygy wrote: That explains it - he's definitely credited with theremin on my copy of Dummy, and it certainly sounds authentic.

My copy says "Adrian Utley: Guitar/Thereman". It's a US-import copy with It's A Fire on, but I believe my previous UK version said the same. Whether that typo was deliberate (because it wasn't a Theremin at all), or not, I don't know.

ETA: D'oh, just re-read the SoS article and it mentions the Thereman credit there.

I came across a website recently where Theremin players were debating what was, and wasn't, Theremin on particular recordings. Some Theremin players are so good that not only can they pretty much instantly distinguish the real thing from a pretty good fake due to very subtle nuances in the performance, but they can even tell which make of Theremin has been used by the character of its sound!


Edited by Jorvik - June 04 2008 at 17:58

I went into Sound Control in Glasgow some time ago and they had a Moog Theremin in the keyboard area.  I was tempted, but I couldn't afford it.

Green Carnation also uses it their DVD "A Night Under the Dam" around track 5 "Maybe?"

I saw Jean Michel Jarre playing the Theremin on 27th April at "Coliseu do Porto", in one of the concerts of his Oxygène tour, commemorating the 30 years of the album, using the original keyboards and the theremin which was also used in the original, as well as its follow-up Equinoxe.

You know the British crime investigation TV series Midsomer Murders, starring John Nettles. Its opening melody (at least the most used version of it) is played by Theremin. Maybe the most heard Theremin tune for today's people, though most TV watchers probably have no idea what instrument it's played with.

Great topic, I love the Theremin.

One of the creepiest songs that I've ever hear is Clara Rockmore playing 'Summertime' on the Theremin.  trust me on this one, it's worth the down load.  Find the 'All Songs Considered' podcast from National Public Radio and download the episode from January 19, 2007.  At 22:30 you can hear a brief spoken intro and the song itself, gives me goosebumps every time.

After I heard that for the first time, I wikipediaed the Theremin and found a fascinating story.  Leon Theremin lead an amazing life full of mystery, intrigue (really, I'm not making this up).  In the process, I learned that there's a documentary about the man called "Theremin: An Electric Odyssey" .  I HIGHLY recommend the movie, it is available on Netflix.  The IMDB listing is: 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0108323/


Enjoy