Mesmerizing sculptural instrument uses water for an otherworldly musical light show

There are plenty of art installations set up around the world, but the majority of them have a “look but don’t touch” policy. After all, “art” is expected to be mostly visual and the risk of damaging a precious, one-of-a-kind masterpiece is just too high. There are, however, other art forms that require your other senses to truly have a complete experience, sometimes involving not just touch but even hearing as well. This sculptural instrument, for example, invites people to dip their hands into glowing drums of water to create a hypnotic audiovisual experience intended to raise their consciousness to higher levels.

Designer: Artur Weber

Inner Waves look nothing like any musical instrument you can think of, except probably for a drum set with too many drums arranged in an almost random fashion around the largest circle in the middle. Like their namesake, though, these are actually small container drums that can hold liquid, in this case, water. Unlike your typical water drum, however, these cylinders have a faint glow on the outside that contrasts with the darkness they hold inside.

As captivating as these eerie glowing drums might be, they’re not designed just for your eyes. After all, you can’t even appreciate the water they hold in the darkness, and so you have to make that leap of faith and plunge your hand or even just a finger inside that darkness. This act rewards you with a brighter light and an ethereal sound that is reminiscent of the tones produced by a theremin. It is also similar to the sound you make when you dip your finger inside a glass of water and then run your fingertip around the mouth of the glass.

This alien sculptural instrument is advertised to link the water inside the viewer’s body with the water within the vessel, a statement that almost has a transcendental message to it. Technically speaking, it most likely uses the vibrations caused by ripples in order to trigger the mechanism that increases the light’s intensity and produces sound. Of course, your brain might not immediately make that connection, making you think that it is indeed your body’s agency that is creating this effect. Either way, the audiovisual art installation has the intended effect of putting your mind in a more meditative state, perhaps contemplating the deeper meaning behind this intersection of art and technology.

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Wood Bugle Cube comes with layers of hand-carved birch plywood to produce sound

If you are a musician, you may have already imagined building a custom instrument at one point in your career. It is not an easy dream because musical instruments are constructed around a precise form and accurate controls to produce the desired sound. You might be able to create a working version, but it will not be as good as the one made by professionals. Yet, this does not mean you cannot think outside the box, as the Wood Bugle Cube shows. The custom-made instrument comes in an unconventional shape but delivers the same sounds and functionality as a real bugle.

Designer: Henry Hanson

Wood Bugle Cube in Action

Wood Bugle Cube Details

A bugle is a trumpet-like brass instrument often used for sending military signals. It is typically designed without a valve or other parts for pitch control. The Wood Bugle Cube is a similar instrument in an unusual form for a musical device. This project by Henry Hanson is a follow-up to his previous one called the Concrete Trumpet, which is a similar-sounding object in an unorthodox design.

The Wood Bugle Cube looks like another portable, wireless speaker you could bring outdoors. It has the same function as the Concrete Trumpet but is different in its look and construction. The wooden model evokes a more natural, homey, and warm feeling. In contrast, the Concrete Trumpet offers a more elegant mood.

Wood Bugle Cube

Wood Bugle Cube Designer

The Wood Bugle Cube is a functional instrument housed in a stack of 20 layers of squares of 9mm-thick birch plywood. Each layer is carved according to tracing lines determined by the same CAD model used for the concrete version. The cut squares are grouped for sanding to keep the insides smooth. The layers are then glued with a sealant to create a more solid structure and better moisture resistance.

Wood Bugle Cube Design

Like most brass instruments, the sound is made by blowing air into the mouthpiece at one corner of the Wood Bugle Cube. The act causes the lips to vibrate and control the air traveling through the instrument. This Wood Bugle produces similar, yet softer and warmer sounds compared to a brass bugle or trumpet.

Design Wood Bugle Cube

Wood Bugle Cube Demo

This Wood Bugle Cube is made of a medium that is not usually used for brass instruments. However, it still offers the same desired experience as a trumpet without looking like one. The sound it produces is not as refined but just enough to make a signal be heard. The tedious process of making the musical instrument gives it a unique personality, and the meticulous work of the creator put into this is something to be admired.

Design Wood Bugle Production

Wood Bugle Cube Production

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