The "blaster beam." It's not just something that gets shot from a stormtrooper's pistol. What I'm talking about is a musical instrument with strong ties to Star Trek, not Star Wars.The blaster beam is probably the weirdest musical instument ever created. It's a giant steel monstrosity over 18 feet long. Nothing else sounds quite like it. It was first used by Jerry Goldsmith in the score for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, used to represent V'Ger.
If you remember the music from the film at all, you already know exactly what sound I'm talking about. If not, it's the funky noise you hear at the beginning of this clip.
Continuing the Star Trek connection, this instrument was actually invented by an actor who, as a child, appeared on an episode of the original Star Trek. Stranger career changes have been made than from actor to new age musician, of course.
What possesses a guy to think, "I'm going to build the biggest, heaviest, strangest-sounding instrument the world has ever heard"? I have no idea... but mission accomplished, sir.
2 comments:
I've always been a fan of wierd-things-used-as-musical-instruments. especially if you can get a neat sound out of it. imagine hauling that thing around on a concert tour? or if every orchestra had to have one?
the mole
Now I know.
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