This was scratch-built from 3mm birch plywood, transparent red acrylic rod, patterned sheet plastic, and an assortment of hardware including metal strap and hog rings. I leaned hard on influences from the art deco age, where something warm and futuristic was always in the corner, lighting the room.
Once again, ladies and gentlemen: the brutality, the majesty, the stupidity of Gong Fights. (What???) This session was at Seacompression a few weeks ago. @findthecoretruth (parading the round numbers around the ring), our good friend Lara (in referee garb, judiciously scoring the fights and calling the winner of each round) and I (the robed announcer in …
I wanted to bring something fast, loud, and stupid to the playa this year. Something that was portable, easy to make and use, and memorable. (photo gallery below!) You know the sound a steel mixing bowl makes when you strike its edge? I love the round, BONGing resonance of it. So: Equipment: I built two …
The sound inside the kit is kind of glorious, but I think during a fight it will be hellaciously loud. Might need to hand out earplugs to the fighters. I’ll be working on arm protection next. And maybe some smaller noisemaking items.
It works. More to come.
You recommission them, that’s what. I had to leave XyloVan’s keyboards behind in storage when we moved from Los Angeles (no room in NYC). But I brought the disc gongs with me. I finally got around to rebuilding them into something a lot more compact and portable, and I took the opportunity to engrave them …
This mask was the largest one I could manage to cut out and make wearable from the tin ceiling tile, which was originally a 3-by-3-foot sheet of tin. It is definitely meant to be worn without sunglasses so that the wearer’s eyes are visible. I also fabbed a new mask, including magnets so that the …
I learned some things on the first mask. I’m still really pleased with the way it turned out, but this time around I primered the surfaces I intended to paint, and the paint went on a lot more smoothly and did not crawl and craze in the way that gave the first mask it’s beaten-to-hell …
I’ve started a new personal project about the pandemic, masks and fear. I’ve had these sheets of tin ceiling floating around the shop unused for years and found that the stuff lends itself to cutting, bending, painting and rivets, plus it’s sturdy and not too heavy to wear. (And yes, that’s a double-layered cloth mask …
XyloVan began its life nearly 10 years ago as an idea: Let’s build a mutant vehicle so our young kids can ride around even after bedtime and we can all enjoy Burning Man safely together after dark. The van’s full, rich and musical life ended last month – after so many adventures, mishaps and miracles …
You read that right: This day had to come. We’re moving, and the time has arrived for me to send XyloVan (1) on to its next incarnation. Underneath the instruments, (and the patina of wonderful music, noise and love that thousands of people have laid on them during its 9.5-year existence), lies a sturdy old …
This is a long way from xylophones and propane-tank drums, but I’ve really enjoyed building cajóns and – for the first time – a marimbula. The marimbula is a Caribbean instrument, descended from the African kalimba, and generally functions as a bass. As you’ll see in the video at the bottom of the post, I …
The old-timey title for this post could have been: The Wisdom and Benefits of Contemplating a Temporary Shift from the Traditional Norm for This Institution in Materials, Methods, Design and Construction of Multi-Purpose Acoustic Percussion Instruments: Or, a “Box to Bang On” Because this post is about a kick in the head. A total world-shifting …
It’s been four years since I first mutated XyloVan as “the Light Fandango” and cruised the playa dressed as a glowing ballroom ceiling. This year’s journey to Burning Man proved just as magical as the 2014 outing, thanks to amazing new campmates at OKNOTOK who helped me build and light it, a couple of excellent …
A percussion cruise is a pretty simple pleasure: Invite people onto the roof to play the drums and gongs, and drive across the Black Rock Desert. As I drive, happy sounds drift down – people lazily striking the gongs, and chatting passionately about their burns. The first part of this clip is the sound of …
I built XyloVan to give others the joy of playing music. More often, they give me the joy of hearing amazing talent. This guy – who told me his name was Austin – really brought it.
Preparing for Burning Man – the Thing in the Desert – consumes you. You sacrifice all your time to it, and much of your sanity. I’ve been too busy to even blog about this year’s preparations, which have included a slew of new instruments and a complete teardown/rebuild of the Arduino-controlled canopy-light system. As I’m …
YES! “The Light Fandango” will return to Black Rock City this August in full dress. I just got my invitation from the Department of Mutant Vehicles. To say I’m excited is a bit of an understatement. I learned a lot in 2014, the last time she flew. The chief lesson was – assemble the chandeliers …