Weerthof | instruments

Looking for that specific sound? Build it yourself! Inspired by the physicality of bands playing live, I wanted to make instruments which demanded a lot of physical labour to play (to accentuate my very specific physique), and would still be quite unreliable (to pronounce the tension of playing live). I really don't care about their appearance, just how they sound and how they can be incorporated.



• Pompenorgel (2007 - 2009)

The organpipes are played via airbedpumps by hand, feet, or both, with a substantial chance of failing. (article)

On the left one of my songs prominently featuring the foot pump organ and the pump organ used in live gigs.

The pipes come from a real church organ, specifically the old organ from the church in the red light district in Amsterdam. For them being in my possession my intense gratitude goes to Jakob Lekkerkerker and Ad van Rosmalen.

The instrument was used quite intensely on stage, but in the end it became a live gimmick, so nowaday I mostly use it in my home studio recordings where you don't have to see it to hear it.






• Tubophone (2008)

Giant pvc percussion panpipes. By using my hands instead of paddles, a single tube can produce a high and a low note. (Paraffin used on the tube edges to dramatically improve both playability and the preservation of my hands.)

On the left examples of the tubophone being used in an actual song, as well as a crappy yet entertaining early test run.




















• Vélophone (2008)

A tuned bike wheel, and can be played with a bow or mallets. I don't know Marcel Duchamp.


• Other instruments

Trombengel : a fishing rod played as a trombone. Or with a reed mouthpiece to create a slide saxophone.

Various lithophones, arbrophones, wirophones, colaphones, boxophones, lattophones, trashbinophones.

Invloeden / helden

Harry Partch. Paf?
Uakti. Eh?
Instruments that make western music look bland. Tze? Puh?