Electronic Sound Magazine Issue 70 Zurück Ausgabe

When Leon Theremin accidentally invented a musical instrument instead of developing what was supposed to have been a kind of sonar system, the Russian leaders loved it so much they sent the young boffin around the Soviet Union to show it off. A few years later, they packed him off again, this time on a tour of European theatres.

Goodness knows how audiences reacted when they first heard this amazing instrument. Its ghostly wail, which could sound like a human voice, had no real precedent in music. What’s more, you didn’t have to touch the instrument to play it. You seemingly just had to wave your hands about somewhere in the vicinity. This was sonic voodoo and then some.

We’re celebrating 100 years since the invention of the theremin with this month’s cover feature. As well as a fascinating piece written by Albert Glinsky, the world’s leading authority on Leon Theremin, we talk to some of the contemporary artists who are making new sounds with this iconic piece of electronic music history. Four of them – Herb Deutsch, Dorit Chrysler, Gaudi and The Radio Science Orchestra – have each contributed a track to this month’s exclusive Electronic Sound vinyl offer.

Elsewhere in this issue, we speak to Róisín Murphy and A Certain Ratio about their superb new albums, while Global Communication unveil what is sure to be one of this year’s most desirable boxsets. We also invite you to enter the magnetic fields of Jane In Palma, Beverly Glenn-Copeland and ‘Minecraft’ composer C418, while Annie Nightingale reveals her influences and Ali Friend gives us the inside story on Red Snapper’s ‘Hot Flush’.