Strange Musical Instruments: This promo video for the Crash Test Dummies takes a look at their work on their latest album, which features “toy” electronic instruments – like the Optigan, the OmniChord, the Baldwin FunMachine and, yes, the iPhone.
via topartistpromotion, Peahix
Not familiar with the Crash Test Dummies but love what they’re doing with these old toy instruments.
Will have to check them out!
Much as I love the CTD, I think it's stretching it a bit to refer to the optigan and the omnichord as 'toys'… one being a vintage experimental sampler based organ and the other being an electrified autoharp with a control ribbon… I mean, if it were built and sold to eight year olds, perhaps, but I think it kinda does them a disrespect to think of them as 'toys'…
the are Vintage Experimental Electronic Instruments and each was designed and sold as a viable instrument in their own right (and not cheap either!)… when they are framed in this way it unplesantly echoes the voices of those who still do not have respect for electronic music and instruments… and it smacks of a gimmick to do so… make an album using a see and spell, a 16 key piano, and a kazoo and we'll talk… but just talking about how crap you think they are neglects their historic signifficance and groundbreaking technologies… not to mention it bashes the very 'vintage sounds' that you love so much about it to use in the first place!