Lyraei, hybrid chordophone played with magnetic pulses

PHOTO BY PIETER KERS PKERS@BEELD.NU

In the development of musical instruments today, traditional forms and systems are often combined with analogue or digital techniques, creating functional hybrids. Lyraei is a musical instrument of this kind by Mihalis Shammas. It is a chordophone with magnetic pulses that excite the strings so that they vibrate continuously. This continuity of sound extends the original structure to a new concept where the strings are not even touched by the musician. Shammas uses a machine to control the pulses via handmade pickups, generating drone sounds. The movement and resonance add a certain unpredictability that further characterises this experimental hybrid instrument.

 

Mihalis Shammas – Lyraei