Dreaming Head No. 1
"What's up with this?"
Dreaming Head No. 1 was one of three "Heads" developed for a benefit to raise money for "Beyond Fast Forward". Each of the three pieces involved a styrofoam head, wires, electricity and lights.
Dreaming Head No. 1, shown here, is a MIDI controller.
Unlike a conventional MIDI keyboard, the notes are not arranged in a particular pattern. Rather, the user plays with it until something pleasant is heard, thus giving non musicians an equal standing with musicians. The instrument is played by donning a glove which has copper pads on the finger tips. There are pairs of bare wires running up the inside of the clear plastic dome, which come to the surface at random heights.
Small, clear lights shine on the bare silver wire, giving the entire dome an ice cube-like appearance, and the feeling that perhaps the head is frozen inside. From the head, two small mirrored balls rotate, reflecting the white light from below. The surface of the head is wired with three strings of flashing light emitting diodes. The diodes are controlled by three clear plastic bubbles which contain mercury switches. As users rotate the bubbles, the strings turn on and off.
The head is mounted on a round white posterboard table. Around the perimeter of which are eight jacknife switches. These switches are ideally used for long, sustained sounds, or looped rhythm samples, which is what I tend to map to them. Non musicians can become instant sensations by closing one or more of the jackknife switches and starting off a looped dance beat.
Be the life of the party. Bring a Dreaming Head.
Puts Karaoke where it belongs.
So much for boring details.
Geez. You asleep yet?
Here's the real deal. I hook this sucker up to some massive sounds, a sampler or two,and get old
Julius to shoot some visuals at ya, and we're happening. When the MTV cameras (namedropper!) were rolling at the Black Citroen, I was in hog heaven watching absolute strangers shake it up without any training on this thing.
I gotta get this out in the public again.
Dreaming Head No. 1
Available for most functions.
Places you may have enjoyed Dreaming Head No. 1:
Instruments