Elektra

MUSICAL HEALTH WARNING!

Since hearing this track I have had the chorus stuck in my head - "Hey mr Mooog mr theremin…." its driving me more nuts than I usually am!

EAR WORM ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Too bad the precision theremin solos in this video are not played on a theremin. I think there may be some real theremin on the track but it is played briefly, with no skill, and strictly for FX. 

One of the things I found interesting and strange was the effort that obviously went into this production, and the focus on the theremin... Even if the "theremin" sounds were almost entirely "faked"..

And the production was also (to me) strange because it seems that the vocalist didnt even know how to pronounce the names of the "heroes" this production was supposed to be highlighting..

Recent videos from quite prominent You-Tube artists claiming boldly sometimes to be playing the theremin, when anyone with the tiniest knowledge of theremins can see this is a lie (Walk off the earth was a blatant example of this).

Why? Thats what I dont understand.. Why go to all the effort to fool people into thinking you are a master of this obscure instrument ? Is there really this "coolness" factor to the theremin - is it really so popular and "trendy" that its worth this kind of desception and risk ?

(Walk off the earth has, AFAIKS, removed/replaced its original "Coolest theremin video ever" - and therebye removed the comments from the likes of Amey and me regarding how fake it was.. I notice that a video reply was also posted showing that the theremin in the original video was faked)

Fred.

For many people a "theremin" is anything that produces a sound that is vaguely reminiscent of the chilling, wobbly sound FX from 50's SciFi and suspense films. For these individuals, "theremin" is not an

instrument. It is a sound.

I also noticed that the singer in the ELEKTRA video mispronounces the names of the two inventors to whom she is presumably paying homage: Theremin and Moog (pronounced "terraman" and "moooog"). This could be due to the fact that neither the singer nor the songwriter is a native English speaker.....???? 

Never ask a Frenchman to pronounce "this" and "think" because you'll end up with "zis" and "sink"!

And zat, as they say, is ZAT!

P.S. (Don't ask an English speaker to say "Tu fus un cul!" in French.....unless he happens to be a Scott).

American ship captain:"Mayday, Mayday... We are sinking! I repeat, we are sinking!!!"

German Coastguard: " Ja... Tell me what are you zinking about??"

" " Ja... Tell me what are you zinking about??""

LOL ;-) .. This kind of "tunes in" to my question -

 "Why? Thats what I dont understand.. Why go to all the effort to fool people into thinking you are a master of this obscure instrument ? Is there really this "coolness" factor to the theremin - is it really so popular and "trendy" that its worth this kind of desception and risk ?"

vot are zay zinking about ????

Many of the people who represent themselves as "masters of the theremin" really are "masters" in the eyes of their particular fan base. Sequined rocker "Ke$ha" recently told SPIN magazine, "I'm a fucking theremin master!" and for her audience she is exactly that.

Oh brother... She is (as a person and her music) ABOMINABLE!

I wonder what her rendition of "Frere Jacques" Would sound like! :)

Relax! It's just a video. Not a documentary!

It's an ode to Lev Termin and Bob Moog, I kind of like it! We don't care if they actually play any theremin in the musical track, they tell us a little story, and there is actually lots of technical work in this clip. I like the superimposition of Leon's pictures.

There are hundreds of little details everywhere, it's quite impressive. If you pay attention to the lyrics (instead of criticizing the accent of the singer) and watch the characters you will see many things happening. Did any of you notice the titles on the newspapers: Analog Post, and VCA Today? Or the TV screen where we see Leon near the end?

Does everyone always have to be hyper-judgmental on this board? Please, have some fun! Life is short.

roguewave,

What you have to realize is that we are not all here for the same reasons, we are not all motivated by the same thing, and we most certainly do not all share the same taste in art and music in general, and in theremin playing in particular. 

Yes, some people are here to share and support and applaud EVERYTHING. Life is short, and it's all O.K., everything's great, etc. etc.

There are others of us who do not subscribe to this sort of California hot-tub, feel-good philosophy. I, along with a number of others here on TW, are perfectly willing to admit that there are those who sincerely believe that things we think are pure trash are absolutely BRILLIANT, but please don't ask us to agree or to remain silent in the face of our differences.

By all means tell us you like the ELEKTRA video, and tell us WHY you like it, but please don't chastise us for disagreeing with you. Believe it or not, we're having just as much fun criticizing the ELEKTRA video as you are praising it. It's the other side of the same coin.

That's what this forum is all about. 

After all, in the absence of dissent and difference of opinion, there is nothing to discuss.