LEMUR's Gamelatron

January 18, 2009 3:07 PM

Introducing the Gamelatron, "the world's first and only fully robotic gamelan". Brought to you by the Brooklyn-based League of Electronic Musical Urban Robots, affectionately known as LEMUR.
posted by flapjax at midnite (29 comments total)

I like that they have a page for prices. How much of this money is actually going to the Cylon / Toaster musicians themselves? No wonder they rebelled and blew up the Earth!
posted by zaelic at 3:16 PM on January 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

Well I must say, it's certainly frightening.
posted by tehloki at 3:17 PM on January 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

Ack. Those are pretty pricey concert fees. How much does this thing drink?

Somehow not as mind-bendy as the "real thing", but I wouldn't be able to tell a difference in quality unless it played a tune I know. What do you think, flapjax?
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 3:55 PM on January 18, 2009

I assume that "gamelan" doesn't mean "a local area network for playing games". So what does it mean?
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 3:57 PM on January 18, 2009

I dunno, I think I could put together a game LAN party for cheaper than what they're asking.
posted by Servo5678 at 3:57 PM on January 18, 2009

(Balinese) Gamelan.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 4:10 PM on January 18, 2009

Unfortunately not the best footage of the players. There's a ton on the Tube, though.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 4:13 PM on January 18, 2009

So what does it mean?

It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing.

What do you think, flapjax?

Well... not bad for robots, I reckon.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 4:15 PM on January 18, 2009

I love, love, love gamelan music. This post will be sure to delight me and annoy my boyfriend all evening.
posted by munchingzombie at 4:21 PM on January 18, 2009

Here's a better piece than the one I linked to, for views of the performers. Note the wayang kulit (shadow puppets) that gamelan sometimes accompanies.
posted by Durn Bronzefist at 4:22 PM on January 18, 2009

Eponygasmic.
posted by Lemurrhea at 4:32 PM on January 18, 2009

Ooh, forgot to mention:

Somebody needs to invent the anti-Songsmith, which adds lyrics to instrumental pieces, and start running these types of things through it.
posted by Lemurrhea at 4:34 PM on January 18, 2009 [2 favorites]

I have mixed feelings about LEMUR. Their work is great, but they tend to show it in the same exhibitions where I show mine, and theirs is always bigger and much louder.
posted by moonmilk at 4:46 PM on January 18, 2009

Robot gamelan? Man, it's a great time to be alive.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 5:03 PM on January 18, 2009

It's about time that someone developed a robot to do THAT job for me as well. Does it have a "PUNK" setting?
posted by snsranch at 5:09 PM on January 18, 2009

So there is a real world version of this. Yep, life's good.
posted by The Ardship of Cambry at 5:12 PM on January 18, 2009

Even closer to the animusic thing is the Absolut Quartet. (Yes, a booze-sponsored ball-flinging music robot. I went to see it and yoinked one of the little rubber balls that had somehow escaped from the machine.)
posted by moonmilk at 5:37 PM on January 18, 2009 [1 favorite]

(Hyrulean) Gamelon.
posted by oulipian at 7:03 PM on January 18, 2009

“Robbing a bank’s no crime compared to owning one!”
-- Brecht, "Happy End"
posted by ford and the prefects at 7:38 PM on January 18, 2009

(er, sorry. posted in wrong thread. umm...help?)
posted by ford and the prefects at 7:38 PM on January 18, 2009

This group should get together with Maywa Denki.
posted by Foosnark at 10:52 PM on January 18, 2009

Yeah, I saw this at the Horizons Festival. It's every bit as cool as you think it would be.
posted by Afroblanco at 12:19 AM on January 19, 2009

All we need is a robot audience to do the listening and that whole ongoing gamelan problem could finally be solved.
posted by Phanx at 1:27 AM on January 19, 2009 [2 favorites]

Awesome, thanks.
posted by Wolof at 2:05 AM on January 19, 2009

this as good a reason as any to hand my $5 over to metafilter already.

i saw it at the Horizons festival, too. being familiar with Zemi17's music, i wasn't too sure if i was going to like this... but seeing it in action was most excellent. impressive. i do feel compelled to point out that mechanical instruments have been around forever. music boxes, player pianos, wurlitzer band organs, etc. adding gamelan into the mix? that's the new part. long live mechanical instruments & robots!
posted by jackanory stories at 4:19 AM on January 19, 2009

A perfect post! I love gamelan and robots.
Reminds me of this band I saw a few years ago.
posted by greasepig at 6:40 AM on January 19, 2009

Wow, you linked to a .mov without calling it out. I expected better from you, flaps!
posted by Eideteker at 5:18 AM on January 20, 2009

I expected better from you, flaps!

So very sorry to let you down, Eidey.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:04 AM on January 20, 2009

Reminded me of a real-life Animusic. Thanks!
posted by not_on_display at 12:28 PM on February 11, 2009