“Singing Daxophone” makes incredible eerie quasi-vocals out of an experimental instrument

The “daxophone” is a new acoustic instrument invented in the 80s. Its creator was a German typographer. It’s name is derived from “badger.” It sounds like an half-human, half-alien vocal. And virtuoso Kazuhisa Uchihashi has been able to coax a whole album out of it – with jaw-dropping results.

This particular album came out last fall, but must have flown under the radar. Hats off yet again to C-drik Fermonth and Syrphe for being on it. Technically speaking, the saxophone is a “friction idiophone” – like the glass armonica and musical saw. The actual results transcend the parts, and what you get is a sound between the delicacy of those better-known instruments and the quality of a voice.

Created by Hans Reichel, the instrument is diverse in its playing methods. (Okay, Reichel is a typographer, yes, but also a musician and violinist and guitarist as well as luthier – and has his own approach to playing his invention.) There’s a wooden tongue, another wooden block, and some contact mics. Somehow the shape of the instrument and its cavities and materials and the use of the tongue make a kind of vocal puppet, producing that singing / speaking quality.

You can also DIY this instrument, which is primarily how it has spread. I couldn’t get the official site working, but there is a detailed narrative of a meeting with the creator, and our friend Yuri Landman is evidently building them and offering workshops.

Even Reichel describes the possibilities as being open-ended and uncertain. Enter Japanese-born, Berlin-based musician Kazuhisa Uchihashi, who has mastered those idiosyncracies to the point that the daxophone itself can effectively be the singer.

This entire album is all daxophone.

Listen to “I FEEL GOOD” for a particularly wonderful uncanny valley:

The rendition of “Close to You” is pure magic:

And it goes on fro there. I feel like I’m going to wind up hearing this version of “Eleanor Rigby” licensed somewhere depending on who reads CDM. “Space Oddity” is what we should have sent on an interstellar probe instead of Glenn Gould, even.

Even the artist here says, simply, “funny and beautiful !!!”

Here’s a closer look at the instrument. A playing demonstration, which makes it seem more musical saw-like (John Jansen has their own shop):

The biggest feature on this instrument, down to details and videos of how to mill those daxophone tongues, comes from none other than Popular Woodworking – of course!

Create Wooden Music!