Sound Builders: Ken Butler, Musical Frankenstein, Builds Violins Out of Toy Guns, Boots and More
“Thirty years ago, Ken Butler picked up an axe and decided that it would work really well as a violin in the crook of his neck. It worked. Now Ken continues to blur the lines between instruments and, well, as you’ll see, just about everything else.
“His Hybrid instruments, which he calls “anxious objects”, have been featured on MTV and The Tonight Show. In this episode of Sound Builders, Ken gives us a tour of his Brooklyn studio, fills us in on his theory of art and functionality, and rips apart a toy gun to fashion a violin-like contraption for us.”
20 Unique and Weird Musical Instruments
“Everyone has an obsession. Some people love foreign films, others love porn (or satirical adult web series, and there are even a few oddballs who think that the key to happiness lies in a diverse and creative diet of hamburgers. But perhaps one of the most understandable ‘obsessions’ in today’s world of complex technology and non-stop networking is music. After all, music has a unique way of getting down to the basics, stripping an emotion, a thought, a relationship, even a story down to a melody. Something we can tap our feet to. As Shakespeare scripted in Twelfth Night, ‘If music be the food of love, play on.’
“At KoldCast, we can’t help but agree with Shakespeare, and we bet that if he were still alive he’d be a big fan of our series “The Craft”. It may not feature Shakespearian language or archetypes, but it is a nuanced display of musicians from across the world. And, as a companion piece to “The Craft”, below we’ve compiled some of the most unique (and weirdest-looking) instruments known to man. Thou should take a look, and let us know thy thoughts in the comment section.”
