Theremin Day

Just a quick announcement and some further information on my upcoming event Theremin Day – 24th April 2010.

I am delighted to be able to work in association with the fizzPOP crew, to deliver both a daytime workshop and an evening of music, all with a Theremin theme. The day is split in two with an afternoon workshop in which you can build your own Optical Theremin, and an evening of live Theremin performances. While tickets last, you can attend either or both! Let’s start with the evening event…

DO NOT TOUCH – An evening of Theremin Live Performances

A special evening of audio/visual delights, based around the Theremin theme. The highlights are:

Ms Hypnotique
This is an opportunity to see one of the nation’s most renowned Theremin players. She has trained with Lydia Kavina, the grand-niece of Leon Theremin, and performs in many genres from classical to surf-rock to industrial. She has given numerous performances and recordings for artists including Bob Moog, Damien Hirst and TV appearances include “James May’s 20th Century” and “New Paul O’Grady Show”. In 2009 she performed on the fourth plinth, Trafalgar Square, as part of Anthony Gormley’s “One and Other” project and in April 2010 she will perform at Ether Fest at Royal Festival Hall in a 20-piece Theremin orchestra.


Ms Hypnotique also features on one of my soon to be released “Romany-Surf-Step” tunes. I am very pleased she is coming to Birmingham for Theremin Day.

Listen to this!

Image: copyright Jason Knott 2002

Mr. Underwood & Friends
Yes, me! I’ll be doing a super rare performance of Steve Reich’s Pendulum Music, using four torches and four Optical Theremins (of the same kind made in the afternoon workshop). The performance will be in darkness and will peak in a cacophony of squealing sound.

Pete Ashton
Pete will be wowing us with his Thingamagoop (see video below) and some 8-bit sounds. He will also be collaborating with Ms Hypnotique and myself in an improv session.

+ a selection of other Theremin audio/visual delights

Do Not Touch – Build your own Optical Theremin Workshop

During the workshop, people will be able to make a 3 oscillator Optical Theremin, which makes noises like this, when light is shone on it:

[flv:/video/theremin.flv 524 294]
I will soon be adding a video showing the finished article, in a nice shiny box…

The event will take place on the 24th of April at The Edge, Cheapside, Birmingham. I am very grateful to fizzPOP and Friction Arts for supporting this event. All profits go to fizzPOP in order to help them go on to bigger and better things. Birmingham needs you!

I hope we can fill the place for this highly distinctive day of workshoping and live performance, Theremin Day.

Tickets are available here: Workshop – Sold Out! and here: Event Tickets

Further information is here: Workshop Details and here: Event Details

The year that was…2009

Better late than never, here are some of my personal musical highlights of 2009.

Last year was all about the emergence of Glatze as a live music sensation. Well, I had my moments ;) My time in Birmingham led to some exciting new relationships. I played a variety of gigs as part of the underground experimental scene. Then, out of the blue, the delightful Capsule girls got in touch to ask whether I’d like to support Melt Banana. As they are one of my favourite bands, it was a no-brainer. I went on to play at Supersonic, which was amazing. I was also honoured to be chosen by Capsule to complete an alternative score for “There Are No Others, There Is Only Us”, which was shown at Moor Street Station, throughout Supersonic.

Then to top my “Year with Capsule” off, they included a photo of me in their 10th birthday programme – see below. I am most flattered!

2009 also saw me develop my midi-octopus, which I demonstrated at Futuresonic (Thanks to The Centrifuge for sorting this!). Production of my midi-octopus stalled a little in the latter months of 2009, to give me time to concentrate on my Glatze liveset, but it’s very much back on the agenda for this year.

Other 2009 musical highlights included:

(sorry to anyone or anything I have missed, I have ZX-81-like memory)

Mr.Underwood / Glatze on the plinth (kinda/maybe)

Susi O’neill aka Ms Hypnotique (www.hypnotique.net) recently mentioned on Twitter that she is appearing on the One & Other plinth this Friday at 8pm with electro music, Theremin, tea & cake (www.oneandother.co.uk/participants/Miss_Hypnotique). This sounded like a very cool idea and as a massive Theremin fan I thought I’d get in touch with Susi to express my support and to see if she would consider adding some Theremin to the new Glatze tracks I am working on.

Susi kindly got back to me with an even better offer. She asked me to send her some tracks and if she liked them she would maybe perform over one or two when on the plinth. Ideal! She liked and is taking a couple of my tunes with her.

So, in a roundabout way, weather & playlist permitting, I might just make it onto the plinth on Friday from 8pm. Tune in : www.oneandother.co.uk/

Have a great time Susi. Look forward to working with you once you get back down again!