Vibrating electric fields

[gurdonark]

Now I'm putting ebay bids in on numerous electric football fields. This is part of an ambient music experiment that I intend to carry out.
I still have no idea how I'm going to get the thing actually recorded, as my customary "spend little on hobbies" approach to life has prevented me from getting a proper digital 4 track.
It does make a proper album title, though--
"Gurdonark--Vibrating Electric Fields". I was listening today to Jeff Pearce's album Daylight Slowly. Sheer rapture. Ever since I found the folks at hypnos, I've been surrounded by enchanting and enchanted music. But I'm determined to DIY my own burst of vibrating cheap metal, rhythm instruments and kazoos. Perhaps it's a fundamental neediness, but I 'need' to see this quirky idea through.

Comments

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

I have absolutely NO idea what you're talking about.???

electric football

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Most of the time I don't know what I'm talking about, either.
This time I think I can explain. Electric football uses a vibrating metallic "football field" to move plastic figurine players on plastic bases up and down the field, in a very crude but endearing simulation of American football. You can see an example at www.miggle.com, the major remaining manufacturer.
The principle that "vibrates" the "field" is a little motor that
works a little like those vibrating bed motors. When I was a kid, I played religiously, and one thing I learned was by turning the little screw that controls the rate of speed of the players, one can get incredible electronic sounding musical sounds.

My vision, if vision is not too grandiose a word, is to record many fields at once, set a varying pitches, for a sort of theremin on a hot tin roof sound.

It's silly, but that's the plan. Your husband may have played
with e.f. as a boy. It was big game in the pre electronic era.

Re: electric football

[marstokyo.livejournal.com]

I knew what you were talking about with the Electric Football game but I never played it or saw one up close. My husband wasn't allowed to have toys as a child. He once got a ball. that was a big deal. (Strange people) Anyway I just couldn't imagine the SOUND part of what you were describing. I guess I still can't.

Re: electric football

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Perhaps this--picture an aquarium air pump,
except filtered through a metal sheet, and adjustable for pitch.

[voodoukween.livejournal.com]

follow the muse

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

(grin) yes, exactly. But in my case, I am not sure it is "the" muse, but merely "a-muse".

[voodoukween.livejournal.com]

heh heh heh, could be one and the same....

http://www.pantheon.org/articles/e/euterpe.html

a flute's not a kazoo but......

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Euterpe it is, and thanks for the link!
Now if I could only find the god(dess) of mirlitons (i.e., hummable instruments)....

Re:

[voodoukween.livejournal.com]

i'll see what i can find....

[scott-m.livejournal.com]

When you are ready to record, let me know and I'll retrieve
my 4 track from the fellow I've lent it to and let you use it.
I wouldn't want to impose myself on your project, but if
you'd care for assistance with the 4-tracking, I'd be thrilled
to help.

You never told me that the pitch is variable on those old
electric football games-- I'm starting to understand. I had
one of those games as a kid, it had a harsh sound as I
remember it, like a vacuum cleaner with a fraying belt.

yes!

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

Very! kind of you. I would love to both borrow and to get some engineering assistance. Perhaps we can find a few hours in the next several weeks. I just won the first ebay auction, and will be ready to record once I get the other 2 or 3 I will need. I already have, as you know, the requisite kazoos, slide whistles, and children's rhythm instruments.

I saw a child's accordion in a thrift store 2night in Garland and almost got it for you.
I would love to hear your Lady in Spain.

[asphalteden.livejournal.com]

I would certainly purchase your Hypnos debut, and not just out of collector's interest!

This reminds me of a childhood experience. Instead of electric football (which I never owned as a boy, and was somewhat mystified by when I finally saw one as a pre-teen) I was fairly taken with humidifiers. You know the ones, a plastic tub, with a motor on top which syphons water onto a spinning wheel making "steam." I had one as a child that appeared whenever I was sick; I was convinced it played drone tunes (perhaps in my codeine delerium). I didn't know what I was thinking of at the time, but I like to think ambient music has filled the void since the humidifier went kaput. I've purchased similar models, but I could never recreate the sound I heard when I was around seven or eight years old. The thing innocently created alpha waves of phasing ambience, and I'll be damned if I can't still hear it during quiet, personal moments.

[gurdonark.livejournal.com]

I loved humidifiers, too, and I love the way that they emitted both audible and just sub-audible sounds...breath of life...now they're too safety engineered to make proper rumbles.

I don't aspire to hypnos.com--some really great folks record on that label, but a few things to ebay or mail art or Mp3 would be fun. I've got you at the top of my list of Important Receipients when that day comes.