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Marinus de Ruiter: Can you tell me about the instruments that you are working on now?
Yuri Landman: Currently I'm working on a guitar for Jad Fair. It's basically a two-string guitar with a built-in thumb piano. The strings of the guitar can be bent by a brake cable from a moped, which is connected to a foot pedal. When amplified, the thumb piano, which is mounted to the guitar body, has a very low and impressive sound, almost like a vibraphone.
I have two other assignments right now. Brian Gibson of Lightning Bolt has ordered a combination of a bass and a guitar, a stereo guitar-bass hybrid which will have a built-in thumb piano as well. It's going to be one evil, aggressive-looking axe, based on the model of a Gibson Flying V. The thumb piano will be in line with the guitar strings.
For Amadeo Pace of Blonde Redhead I'm working on an electrical harp. He suggested a harp, because he liked my work, but didn't feel the need to adjust his basic way of guitar playing. Also, his grandmother used to play classical harp and he liked the idea of going back to that sound. His instrument will be based on a prototype I did years ago, which is basically a big triangle with strings, of which you can adjust the timbre by sliding a steel rod through them, the basic principle that is also applied in the Moodswinger. Instead of the way the prototype is built, the strings will be mounted on an open frame.
Marinus de Ruiter: What is your goal with these instruments?
Yuri Landman: On these instruments you're able to discover all kinds of new techniques, things that haven't been done yet. I like that. My point of departure when I design something is often one fundamental idea, based on an existing string instrument, but as it turns out the new creation can be a platform for new sonic ideas or even concepts for new instruments.
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