This Pile of Springs Will Blow Your Mind

Chas Smith makes beautiful ambience from welding springs onto an old circular saw blade   07-Jan-16

Built by LA based composer, performer and instrument designer Chas Smith, this thing looks like a load of springs welded together almost at random, but once you hear the beautiful timbres you realise there is thought and process behind this design.

Chas Smith has made over 25 of his own exotic instruments for his own compositions. Studying with composers in the 1970s such as Morton Subotnik, Mel Powell and James Tenney, Chas's own compositions display a dualistic fascination with the scientific and the sensual.

The instrument played above was recorded on an iPhone, so you can imagine how good this thing would sound if it was recorded properly. The wash of "reverberation" is outstanding giving a shimmer like quality to the struck springs.

A truly interesting and imaginative instrument and performer.

Hear Chas talk about his process here: