NeoKitsch

Here’s a look at some of NeoKitsch’s quirky instruments. This improvisation tries to recreate the sound of the 1950’s Science Fiction movie soundtrack using continuos pitch instruments as well as looking into other ‘victims of spoof’ genres such as 1950’s Hawaiian music, in which this particular piece was not inspired by the traditional, religious music of the native Hawaiians, but by the ‘Kitsch’, franchise hungry invasion of the ‘pleasure island’ at that time. This time however, extra-terestials are doing the invading! Now that’s Neo-Kitsch!
The Folktek ‘Folkchord’, a circuit bent Omnichord OM-84 is being used to create different overtones and textures within the B minor scale, and the Folktek ‘Micro Garden’ finds its way into this improvisation too! Also being used is the Roland MC-808 Groovebox Synth, Moogerfooger Low Pass Filter, Moog Etherwave Theremin, Vintage Lap Steel Guitar, and of course, the studio favourite, the Haken Continuum Fingerboard.

The Folktek ‘Folkchord’ is yet another new instrument to arrive at the studio:

Enjoy this new improvisation at the NeoKitsch studio!

You are invited to listen to a new piece from the Sawaii-Fi genre: “Lost in Translation”. The music was improvised on a detuned violin, a ukulele, the Theremin, Slide Guitar, the casio SK1 sampling keyboard, and it also includes vocal performances and a seagull.

Please click on the media player below:

Among the many entries on the NeoKitsch blog, you may stumble upon an odd genre called Sawaii-Fi. Here is a brief description of what you might expect from a NeoKitsch Sawaii-Fi project.

What is Sawaii-Fi?

Sawaii-Fi is where Hawaiian and Science Fiction music meet, and it is used in many other art forms as well. It is a fusion genre, which takes its influences predominantly, although not limited to, music and films from the mid twentieth century. The ideals and wonders of Hawaii and the hula girls during its franchised frenzy bring the element of paradise to its many mediums. The fears and mysteries of Science Fiction during the ‘Red Scare’ frenzy bring horror to its mediums.

Sawaii-Fi’s origins.

The musical style of Sawaii-Fi evolved from linking the not too dissimilar glissando way of performing its instruments: the Slide Guitar and the Theremin. Its musical form was the starting point for the genre, although early forms of Sawaii-Fi have been known to exist. From then on, music, film, art and writing became popular methods of expressing the marriage of two victims of spoof, out dated genres.

Sawaii-Fi in story form.

In terms of story telling, Sawaii-Fi tends to battle between two divergent themes: paradise under threat from tyrannical outsiders, (Hawaii invaded by extraterrestrial life) or oppressive invaders reformed through the seductive lure of paradise (extraterrestrial monsters co-exist harmoniously with local villagers).

Sawaii-Fi’s influences.

The most successful attempts at this genre are influenced by the more lowbrow variety of its predecessors. Since mainstream cinema’s recent surge of ‘remakes’ and genre rehashes, Sawaii-Fi fell into the neo-kitsch subculture with ease.