The Visitor - theremin version

"The Visitor" Sienna Spiro

Theremin cover version played at Queen's Head Open Mic, 7.5.2026 on Lost Volts LV4. Accompaniment John Drummond. Thanks to Neil Dennis for the video.

Summertime (George Gershwin) - theremin version

Summertime by George Gershwin, performed on Lost Volts LV4 theremin at Cricketers Open Mic Night, 28th August 2025. Thanks to John Drummond johnsopenmics.uk for accompaniment.

Lost In Your Eyes - theremin version

Happy birthday Debbie Gibson! 

"Lost In Your Eyes" by Debbie Gibson (and the song fairies), performed on Lost Volts LV4 theremin.

As Time Goes By - theremin version

As Time Goes By, performed at Cricketer's open mic, Halloween 2024

Somewhere Over The Rainbow - theremin version

 

Somewhere Over The Rainbow, performed on Lost Volts LV4 theremin at Cricketer's open mic, Halloween 2024. Thanks to John, Vanessa and Lisa as always. Information about this and other open mic nights here: www.johnsopenmics.uk

What A Wonderful World / Moon River - theremin versions

Two more theremin songs from Cricketers open mic:

What A Wonderful World

Moon River

A Whiter Shade Of Pale (Procul Harem) - theremin accompanied

 A Whiter Shade Of Pale performed at Cricketers open mic night with John (vocal and guitar) and Steve (bass). I've been taking the LV4 out to some open mic nights hoping to get used to playing in front of people and with accompaniment.

She's Always A Woman - theremin version

 

Billy Joel's She's Always A Woman, performed on LV4.

Leave A Light On - theremin version

 

Leave A Light On - romantic but environmentally irresponsible song by Belinda Carlisle, performed on Open Theremin V4.

Together In Electric Dreams - theremin version

 

Together In Electric Dreams (Moroder/Oakley) performed on LV4 theremin with Fender Hammertone Metal. Great song from the great soundtrack of a terrible movie, although one that might prove prophetic in these final pre-Singularity days. I'm not claiming to have done it justice but I really enjoyed learning this one.

Video look thanks to @Breil123 BGVC's Blender VHS node.

All At Once - theremin version

 

All At Once (Whitney Houston) written by Masser/Osborne.

Performed on Lost Volts LV4 analogue theremin.

New addition to therefam [Lost Volts LV4 Theremin]

I’ve been playing digital theremins, Open Theremin V3 and V4, for the past few years, but I’ve just taken delivery of my first analogue theremin, a Lost Volts LV4. I’ll post some videos soon.

Initial impression: easy to set up and play, a lovely, smooth tone, a pitch field that is a bit less linear than the V3/V4 and this does take some getting used to, and a warm-up time of only a few minutes after which the field is stable. Controls are simple, ultra-sensitive and also include a built in waveform dial that subtly changes the tone.

Seasons Of Love [Concerto for Theremin by Kalevi Aho]

Clara Rockmore, in her “Theremin Method” published in 1998, defined thereminists as those who use the theremin as a voice to interpret real music, rather than a magic toy for producing strange and eerie sounds. Robert Moog once lamented that Leon Theremin invented an instrument with a unique sound, but musicians simply used it to play in existing musical styles.

I like Clara Rockmore, and I like Robert Moog. But which is better? There’s only one way to find out!

Kalevi Aho’s Theremin Concerto is a modern Modern Classical classic. I’ve heard Carolina Eyck perform it twice now, once in a streamed concert and once at the Royal Albert Hall during the 2022 BBC Proms. It bears repetition – I found the first time difficult, something I often find with modern classical, and I felt able to appreciate it much more the second time. There are eight movements, each corresponding to one of the eight seasons of the Sami – take that, Vivaldi! and there is a real sense of a cycle, with each movement a natural progression from the last.

Aho tends towards Moog’s vision for the theremin, celebrating its unique sound and properties – broad octave range, infinite legato, smooth glissando. There’s never a sense that the theremin is imitating a violin or any other instrument, in fact there are times when different sections of the orchestra often seem to be imitating the theremin. The concerto also features theremin and voice duets, Eyck’s speciality, and there are passages of abstract or perhaps magical sound as well as imitated birdsong.

Aho has described the theremin as a shamanistic instrument and its player as a magician. This is never more true than when watching Eyck’s highly expressive style of play, casting musical spells through movement. The Albert Hall was the perfect venue for a magic show. This is a performance space that feels like its’ own self-contained universe, and a universe in which it is completely normal to look up and see the inverted mushrooms floating above.

Although the focus is on the theremin, the concerto also stands out in its use of percussion, which is often subtle, but still central to every movement, and incidentally requiring a fascinating line-up of unusual percussive instruments and machines.  

Flower Duet - Open Theremin

 Flower Duet from the opera Lakme by Léo Delibes, played as a double recording on Open Theremin V4. I'm still getting used to the V4 - overall it's a lovely instrument to play but occasionally the pitch field can misbehave, whereas my V3 was always very stable and obedient. Adding a 3D-printed case seems to have helped.

Next Phase, New Wave, Dance Craze, Anyways [Open Theremin V4]

Open Theremin V4 kit arrived today!

This is the kit. All the components of the V4 screw or click together so there's no need for dodgy soldering.

Like the V3, the V4 is a digital theremin based on an Arduino. Cleverly, as both Arduino and Open Theremin are open source design projects, the Arduino is included in the circuit for the V4, so there's no need to buy one separately. For more information or to buy a kit you can head to the project website here.

Side by side comparison: the V4 is taller, slimmer and lighter than the V3, and doesn't need to sit on a separate Arduino. Controls are basically the same but the play/standby control is a finger touchpad instead of a switch. Power is now USB-C, and there is now a CV line for synthesizer as well as the mini-jack audio.

I am completely operational and all my circuits are functioning perfectly. Assembled, up and running after just a few minutes, and I've started playing. Feels and sounds very similar to the V3 so far. I will however need to order a longer USB-C cable. I might build a LEGO case later, but for the moment I'm enjoying the sleek, minimalist design too much. I shall record some videos and inflict some "music" on you soon.

Happy New Year

 

The Sci-Fi Gene's final theremin video of the year. Strange as it seems, the 100th anniversary of the creation of the theremin has been overshadowed a little by other events in 2020. Anyway. Wishing everyone a good 2021.

Wayne's World [Review: Hylics]

Hylics is a role-playing-game with a surreal plasticine vibe. You play the role of Wayne, a man with a plasticine croissant head as he explores his world, meets strange beings, beefs up his stats and prepares to take on an evil plasticine warlord.

At least, that's what I think is going on. The back story is a mystery - you can talk to the many inhabitants of this world with their uniquely shaped heads, but while a few will hint or trade, most will reply in a poetic gibberish.

The plasticine world is equally mysterious and this makes it a baffling pleasure to explore. It's a large, jumbled mess of islands, buildings and dungeons.

There are also villains and monsters to fight. Combat is turn-based and there are a range of weapons to buy, spells to learn and objects to use in battle.

You will die a lot - this is part of the game. Death takes you to a plasticine plateau where you can rest, add hit points and make sandcastles before heading back through the portal and rejoining the fray.

Although Hylics may look like a low-tech 1980s game it was actually written in 2015 by Mason Lindroth.

Wayne can recruit three band members on his travels - literally as it turns out. That's Dedusmuln on the theremin.

Hylics is available at a very cheap price on Steam and will give you several hours of satisfyingly different JRPG gameplay. Just don't expect anything to make sense.

Music for a contactless age [Theremin 100]

Les Berceaux (Gabriel Fauré) on Open Theremin. I did promise to inflict further theremin "performances" on you at the beginning of the year so fair warning was given. I believe, or delude myself, that I am making progress in learning this instrument, and in the absence of any formal examinations in the UK I'm sure I'm playing at at least grade 2 standard.

It's approximately 100 years since Leon Theremin first invented this musical instrument (the first one is thought to have been built in either 1919 or 1920). The theremin is one of the earliest electronic musical instruments, and along with the laser harp it's one of a very few instruments played without any physical contact - instead two antennae detect microvoltage changes caused by movement of conductors close to them, allowing the player or thereminist to control the pitch with one hand and the volume with the other. The original theremin was based on an analogue circuit. Today there are analogue theremins such as the Etherwave, but also digital theremins such as the Open Theremin or the Theremini.

(Theremin 100 banner designed by Paul Sizer)

It Only Takes A Thereminute [Open Theremin part 2]

For an amateur thereminist, and let's face it, apart from Carolina Eyck we are all amateur thereminists, the most important question of all is: how will I customise my theremin?

Now let me think.

OK. Hands up everyone who was surprised by this.

I'm still getting over the shock of this device actually working. I'm not anywhere near being able to play music on it - the following demo video is rated R for Raucous and should not be watched by anyone.

I Saw Her Standing Theremin [Open Theramin part 1]

I am going to need some truly weird sounds to mix into the soundscape for the road animation - so I have literally no choice but to build a theremin. My hands are tied (which may make playing the theremin difficult).

Named after its' inventor Leon Theremin, the theremin is the most science-fiction-y of all instruments, famous for being used in movies such as The Day The Earth Stood Still and Mars Attacks, and also famous for not being used in the Star Trek theme tune (it's actually sung by a soprano) or the Doctor Who theme tune (they used pretty much every possible sound generator except a theremin).

For this DIY project I'm using the Arduino-based Open Theremin v3 design by Urs Gaudenz. You can read about the history of this interesting project, find out more about Leon Theremin and order your own kit here.

 The kit includes an integrated theremin circuit board, connecting pins, switches and LEDs (the Arduino and USB cable were purchased separately) ...

...and also some of these things.

You just need a few extras - the Arduino itself, some kind of stand e.g. a camera tripod, some earthing wire, and either a decent pair of headphones or a speaker and a set of very, very tolerant family members and neighbours.

One round of dodgy soldering later:

My evil plan worked! Now all I have to do is learn to play it...