Have you seen this incredible Lego music machine?
It seems there is no limit to what one can build out of Lego.
Where children might use the colourful bricks to build houses or cars, computer programmer and artist Alex Allmont has instead used Lego to construct a music machine that churns out mesmerising acid house music.
It was in fact this idea of “getting lost in a youthful creative process while riffing off more mature themes, structures and sounds” that formed the inspiration for Play House, Allmont’s fascinating music machine, as he explains in his post on Makezine.
Created for AudioGraft, one of UK’s biggest and most adventurous festivals of experimental music and sound art, Play House is a desk-sized installation which brings together a drum machine, sequencer and other components, which are all created with Lego Technic. The machine is powered by a central motor which turns the Lego gears and levers, spinning cogs and pressing levers and pedals to trigger sampled drums and digital notes. These sounds are based on those of the classic Roland TB303 synthesizer, whose squelching bass sounds is synonymous with acid house in the 1980s.
What is fun about this machine is that aside from enjoying the music, listeners also get to enjoy a visual treat as they watch the components whirling and clicking in unison to the music. This is part of what Allmont sought to achieve with Play House: to allow listeners to experience the music in a different way. “I wanted to capture the observation of detail in this piece but not force the audience into it,” he explains. “Sometimes the music will lull and then the mechanisms stand out, but when those familiar synth sounds sweep around you are taken somewhere else. “
The process that he went through in the development of Play House has been recounted in detail by Allmont in an article for Makezine, and accompanied by a series of videos showing the development of different components. Strangely compelling for the Lego building-geek in all of us!
Vera is a restless don't-stay-at-home-mum who is happiest meeting friends and bringing her two kids out to events and activities around town. She also loves trying out new recipes, planning parties and Instagram. More of her life and exploits can be found at www.lifeisinthesmallthings.com
