On the centenarian anniversary of the Theremin, music maestro, Gaudi brings the instrument to his palette to produce an album as eccentric as the instrument itself, and as eclectic as his three-decade career. An enigmatic instrument that carries along with it a dark yet beautiful piece of history, the Theremin is like no other. Associated with eerie soundtracks and avant-garde music, and brought to the mainstream by rock stalwarts like The Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, the instrument is revived by Gaudi & his equally exceptional long-time collaborators. They adapt it with skill and reverence into a perpetual union with Dub. The result is a unique ornament of a record for the ages!<\/p>\n
Interview by Mister Mime<\/a> on 21\/06\/2021, edited by Shantiago<\/a>.<\/p>\n 100 years of Theremin (The Dub Chapter): What was your introduction to the instrument? And how is the sonic palette of the Theremin a good fit for the music you make?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n In 1993, a cassette VHS documentary was released about Professor Leon Theremin, who passed away in 1991, and his discovery of the instrument. That got my interest, I bought it in 1994, and I\u2019ve been playing it since. I use it in every gig and in many productions, and I think it\u2019s a very unique instrument that can be very versatile. However, it\u2019s a difficult instrument to play, takes years of study and it makes only one sound, so it can seem to be limited. 2020 was its 100-year anniversary so I took the opportunity to fuse it with my other passion for Dub & Reggae. I got in touch with my long-time collaborators Adrian Sherwood, Mad Professor, Dennis Bovell, Prince Fatty and The Scientist, and I did this album.<\/p>\n There has been such a boom in technology, not only within music and the instruments, but also involved in distributing music. Do you think these developments have affected music itself?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Yes, big-time. When I was younger, there was no internet or even computers. At the age of 16 or 17 years, I was working as an orthodontist to make a living. I would save some money and go to the record store on Saturday mornings, spend hours there and buy albums. When you buy music like that, you go deeper and you listen to everything. You read the credits, understand who the producer is, and the whole history. It\u2019s a total experience.<\/p>\n Now, by having immediate access to every kind of music, it has become a bit disposable. When an album comes out, you tend to forget about it a few days later because you\u2019re being bombarded constantly with new information. We have a certain capacity for information. If you\u2019re not clever about how you buy, use and love music, you can fall into the trap of \u2018Fast Food Music\u2019.<\/p>\n