Dubreq Stylophone

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2007 relaunch Stylophone from Re:creation.
Original stylophone being played.

The Dubreq Stylophone is a miniature stylus operated synthesizer invented in 1967 by Brian Jarvis. It consists of a metal keyboard played by touching it with a stylus - each note being connected to a cheap voltage-controlled oscillator via a different-value resistor - thus closing a circuit. Some three million Stylophones were sold, mostly as children's toys. Rolf Harris appeared for several years as the Stylophone's advertising spokesman in the United Kingdom. The Stylophone was available in three variants: standard, bass and treble, the standard one being by far the most common. There was also a larger version called the 350S with more notes on the keyboard, various voices, a novel 'wah-wah' effect that was controlled by moving one's hand over a photo-sensor, and two styli.

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[edit] Usage

The Stylophone appears on a few commercial recordings, most notably David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and "Slip Away" and the commercial rave single "Stylophonia" by Two Little Boys in 1991. Kraftwerk used the Stylophone on the track "Pocket Calculator" from their album Computer World. The British duo Erasure also employed it on the single "Don't Say Your Love Is Killing Me" (from the album Cowboy in 1997) as well as on their 2000 album "Loveboat". In a lesser-known instance, the Stylophone is used for the bulk of Orbital's single, "Style". Marilyn Manson made use of it for "You and Me and the Devil Makes 3". They Might Be Giants played the Stylophone in several of their songs, including a number on their 2007 album, The Else. Jon Spencer has used the Stylophone extensively on recordings with his band Blues Explosion, and has famously had problems bringing the device — described as "the world's most annoying musical instrument" — through airport security.[citation needed] Korn used the instrument on their seventh studio album, 2005's See You on the Other Side, during the introduction of its thirteenth track, "Seen It All". Umphrey's McGee guitarist Jake Cinninger has used the instrument during live performances.

Jazz saxophone player Rahsaan Roland Kirk played Stylophone on a 1969 live performance of "A Say A Little Prayer".

The stylophone is also listed as being played by Jack White on the Raconteurs' 2008 album Consolers of the Lonely. While on tour in 2008, the Raconteurs' merchandise booths included Stylophones as something to be purchased by concert-goers. Also in more modern times British band Los Campesinos! have used the stylophone in the song "Ways to Make It Through the Wall" on their latest album We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed.

The more versatile S30s version of the instrument was used by UK experimentalists Camberwell Now, and appeared on their album All's Well. The 350s dual-stylus version was also extensively used as a lead instrument by British band Pulp from 1992 to 1994. Its glacial tones are particularly evident on their breakthrough album His 'n' Hers (most notably the songs "Happy Endings" and "Pink Glove") whilst the 1993 album, Intro, features a track called "Styloroc (Nights of Surburbia)" which revolves around a riff played on the first model.

British electro artist Little Boots uses the stylophone in many of her songs, often during live performances.

[edit] 2007 revival

In October 2007 toy company Re:creation, in conjunction with Dubreq Ltd (re-formed in 2003 by Ben Jarvis, the son of the original inventor), re-launched the Stylophone, 32 years after the original had ceased to be manufactured. The new model has a volume control and features an audio throughput function, as well as sporting two new sounds.[1]

The dubreq.co.uk website also lists an upcoming product codenamed S2. The page features a silhouette of the product which looks somewhat like the existing Stylophones, along with the text "The product that dübreq Ltd have been working on since 2002 and which is getting ever closer to fruition. The S2 will be the ultimate incarnation of the pocket synth and will take Stylophonic music to another level".[2]

[edit] In popular culture

In the Doctor Who audio drama Horror of Glam Rock, a glam rocker in 1974 is contacted by aliens through his stylophone, and playing a certain tune on the instrument summons the aliens to Earth. The play includes an original song (composed by Tim Sutton and performed by Stephen Gately and Clare Buckfield) which heavily features the Stylophone.

Comedian Adam Buxton uses one in The Adam and Joe Show for the theme tune of Louise's Guide to Life.

In The Green Wing (2004) UK TV series' , S01E08 - Slave Auction episode, Boyce (Oliver Chris) is seen playing the Soft Cell version of the song Tainted Love on a stylophone.

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Elliott, Amy-Mae (14 September 2007). ""Iconic" Seventies Stylophone to be revived by HMV". Pocket-Lint Ltd. http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/10148/11172/Stylophones-relaunched-HMV-retro-music.phtml. Retrieved on 2008-04-10. 
  2. ^ http://www.dubreq.co.uk/products_s2.php

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubreq_Stylophone"
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