Theremin
I want a theremin.
There, I said it. Why do more people not know about these things? The theremin was "one of the earliest electronic musical instruments, and the first musical instrument played without being touched". Basically, it has two aerials which detect how close the player's hands are - one controls the pitch of the note, and one controls the intensity. So, if you wave at it, it'll squeal back at you. If you've ever listened to music and waved your hands in a sort of "visualisation" of the song, you've got an inkling of what it's like to play the theremin, although, of course, I'm sure it's closer to trying to play the trombone. This should make it clear how it works.
If you don't think you've heard a theremin before, think again: they've been used in songs by Muse, The Pixies, Portishead, the Rolling Stones, System of a Down, Led Zeppelin, and the Beach Boys, among others.
A little known fact is that some of the most prolific players of the theremin are, in fact, cats. It's true!. However, humans can do a pretty decent job, as this rendition of Gnarls Barkley's song "Crazy" shows. However, predictably, our new machine overlords manage to take our achievements and do a much better job.
In conclusion, if you simply refuse to buy me a fez, I will graciously accept a theremin instead.
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Who reads this blog?
Who are your readers such that they all want to buy you things? Or apparently not. Perhaps that you think they should / might / will buy you things? As an avid reader of the Vhata chronicles I'm afraid to report that I don't find myself moved in such a direction. Nonetheless, I wish you good luck in your search for willing donors of Fezs and theremins.
Additionally, your machine reports:
* Captcha token test failed.
* The answer you entered to the captcha challenge is not correct.
When in fact, the answer I entered was correct, damn the blasted machine. The problem was the machine's inability to function without being fed a constant stream of biscuits in cookie form. Bah. Blasted machines.
Double bah
Bah, bah, and bah some more that I must jump through your captcha cookie hoops to prove my non machineness only to be informed by the machine that my comment has been queued for moderation! Moderation I say. What nonsense.
Cats eh...
Kind of apt that cats are the best at theremining when you think about that phrase about the sound of a cat being strangled and you hear the theremin. Apart from the horrible noise, I think there is another reason why more people do not know about these things. And that is that these things are a bit geeky !
I was going to say Charlie Clouser used a theremin in on of NIN's tours, but arguably they're pretty geeky too.
I can definitely see the appeal of playing one though. I saw Bill Bailey when he was performing Part Troll, and part of the act was some crazy comedy theramin. It did look like a lot of fun. But again, heavy on the geek...
I'd buy you a fez! Not a theremin though. You'll damage your hearing.
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