Harmoniums!!!

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Which songs have them? I really want to know. Thanks!

― chuck, Wednesday, 4 February 2004 19:45 (twenty-two years ago)

There's harmonium on a couple songs on the Turn On record (Stereolab side project). At the very least, "Ru Tenone" features it.

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 19:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Also: the Punch Drunk Love soundtrack, maybe?

http://www.filmkrant.nl/av/org/filmkran/archief/fk244/muzpunch.jpg

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 19:49 (twenty-two years ago)

Stereolab had a single called "harmonium"

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 19:49 (twenty-two years ago)

which I think doesn't contain a harmonium.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 19:54 (twenty-two years ago)

I was once in a band called Gear and the Harmoniums in which we used a harmonium.

― Gear! (Gear!), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Nico oeuvre

― dave q, Wednesday, 4 February 2004 19:58 (twenty-two years ago)

Damon and Naomi to thread!

― grapeshine, Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:01 (twenty-two years ago)

fursaxa to thread...

― marcg (marcg), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Jon Brion uses them on the Magnolia score, and on his solo album.

― Ben Boyer (Ben Boyer), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Johnny Marr played one on a Smiths song... ('Oscillate Wildly'?) and Jeff Buckley played one somewhere on 'Grace'.

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:14 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Ed Sanders might have recited poetry with one going in the background so check the Fugs.

(I assume you aren't looking for qawali songs, not that I know the name of any except "Allah Hu!" my favorite.)

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:20 (twenty-two years ago)

nico!
ivor cutler!

― zappi (joni), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Ivor Cutler to thread.

― mzui, Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:28 (twenty-two years ago)

The instrument in Punch Drunk Love is a (portable) pump organ, which I think differs from a harmonium in that you pump with your feet, not your hand. Not that it matters, necessarily.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:29 (twenty-two years ago)

nah, harmoniums can be foot powered, they were the affordable & easily stored alternative to pianos for people of the early 20th century. just remembered kendra smith has recorded a few songs with harmonium

― zappi (joni), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:33 (twenty-two years ago)

The Penguin Cafe's Orchestra's "Music For A Found Harmonium", notably.

"Little Red Robin Hood Hits The Road" by Robert Wyatt, which does feature the inimitable Ivor Cutler.

Much much Indian classical vocal music.

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I love the harmonium - because you can always hear the keys being pressed - the percussiveness of it is as good as the tones coming out of it.

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

What about a glass armonium?

― Dale the Titled (cprek), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:47 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, I guess I own a harmonium. Lovely thing -- I always just called it a pump organ. I can add a song to the list: "Almagest", by Oneida.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:50 (twenty-two years ago)

for 500 bucks you can make your own beautiful music.

http://www.buckinghammusic.com/harmonium/6h2.html

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Beyond Nico, I can't think of any.....although I know that Moby owns one (thank you, "MTV Cribs").

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:55 (twenty-two years ago)

here is a good Indian harmonium page.

http://www.chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/harmonium.html

― scott seward (scott seward), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:55 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.worldmusicalinstruments.com/MusicalInstrumentsDetail.asp?ProductID=3636&ProductName=Harmonium%2C+Traveler%2C+Standard&CategoryName=Harmonium&CategoryID=107

here's one for 270

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Isn't there a whole mess of harmonium (and/or pump organ) on the album "Frank's Wild Years" by Tom Waits? I don't own it any more, so I'm not sure.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Univers Zero (Belgian avant prog band) actually had a full-time harmonium player on their early albums.

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 20:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Allen Ginsberg often played the harmonium at poetry readings/performances, and there's a whole rec of him reading Blake w/ harmomium accompaniment

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 22:01 (twenty-two years ago)

if hurdy-gurdies count:

Jim O'Rourke - Happy Days
Keiji Haino - 21st Century Hard-Y-Guide-Y Man

― bobo, Wednesday, 4 February 2004 22:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Thrill Jockey's Town & Country make use of a harmonium, I believe It All Has To Do With It from 2000 is chock-full of it.

― fields of salmon (fieldsofsalmon), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 22:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Beck played one when he was on "Austin City Limits".

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 22:15 (twenty-two years ago)

I've always identified the recurring notes in "Nothin'" (by Nore) as coming from a harmonium.

― Iam Anonentity, Wednesday, 4 February 2004 22:32 (twenty-two years ago)

If you have ever heard the Blithe Sons they rely on one heavily.

Great drones!

― hector (hector), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 22:33 (twenty-two years ago)

jamie stewart of xiu xiu plays plenty of harmonium.

― Andrew Calaman (Andrew Calaman), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 23:50 (twenty-two years ago)

if hurdy-gurdies count - evidently in this case they don't, being a different kind of beast (tho certainly magnificent instruments in their own right)

Neil Young's unplugged live has eiher a harmonium or a pump organ, I believe.
Also Daniel Figgis's Skipper album.

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Thursday, 5 February 2004 00:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I think they sound pretty awful, actually.

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Thursday, 5 February 2004 00:04 (twenty-two years ago)

hurdy's or harm's, Rockisto?

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Thursday, 5 February 2004 00:10 (twenty-two years ago)

second Bobo's hudy gurdy recommnedations: but are you Bob snoom or former harry pussy guitarist Bill Orcutt?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Thursday, 5 February 2004 00:15 (twenty-two years ago)

harms

― Rockist Scientist (rockistscientist), Thursday, 5 February 2004 00:15 (twenty-two years ago)

Incredible String Band

Kendra Smith

― Ian Grey (Ian_G), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:05 (twenty-two years ago)

As mentioned earlier in the thread, the instrument shown in Punch Drunk Love isn't a harmonium but it *is* a harmonium used in the score.

― ipsofacto (ipsofacto), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Harmonioms are officially different instruments to the pump organ, i think. During the colonial occupation of the sub-continent, pump-organs were introduced and altered to suit the Indian tradition of sitting whilst playing instruments. Thus, the harmonium was born. Damn, I thought I knew more about the subject when i started writing this, i guess not

Sorry

― Rob McD, Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:26 (twenty-two years ago)

As udu wudu mentions, Univers Zero and lots of European experimental rock bands use/d harmoniums. See also Shub Niggurath, Alamaailman Vasarat, Art Zoyd, Samla Mammas Manna. As I recall, there's a Zorn/Eye duo disc on Tzadik that has harmonium, and Eastern Europe appears to house a hotbed of harmonium activity.

― dleone (dleone), Thursday, 5 February 2004 06:29 (twenty-two years ago)

As I recall, there's a Zorn/Eye duo disc on Tzadik that has harmonium,

listen up ipso!

― the surface noise (electricsound), Thursday, 5 February 2004 07:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah I know, I'm not a big fan of Zorn though. Thanks for the heads up anyway. :)

― ipsofacto (ipsofacto), Thursday, 5 February 2004 08:33 (twenty-two years ago)

I know there is a lot of Optigan activity on Wait's 'Frank's Wild Years', now *there's* a mad instrument.
There must be an Optigan thread somewhere on ILM.

― mzui, Thursday, 5 February 2004 08:38 (twenty-two years ago)

There should be one about Raymond Scott too.

― ipsofacto (ipsofacto), Thursday, 5 February 2004 08:42 (twenty-two years ago)

...forgive me there are several.

― ipsofacto (ipsofacto), Thursday, 5 February 2004 08:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Syd Barett - Love Song

― Jez (Jez), Thursday, 5 February 2004 13:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Depeche Mode have a harmonium version of "Enjoy the Silence". Just a stripped down remix, but nice and spooky.

― Rob Bolton (Rob Bolton), Thursday, 5 February 2004 13:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Shouldn't this thread be called 'Harmonia!'?

― NickB (NickB), Thursday, 5 February 2004 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

David Grubbs has done a lot of harmonium stuff post-Gastr del Sol. Then, of course, Nusrat Fatah Ali Khan and other Qwaali singers all use harmoniums - and by extension honorary Pakistani Eddie Vedder.

(Tom Waits was indeed notorious for using Optigans on his albums, but often only the cheesy built in organ!)

― Josh in Chicago (Josh in Chicago), Thursday, 5 February 2004 14:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Depeche Mode have a harmonium version of "Enjoy the Silence". Just a stripped down remix, but nice and spooky.

I think that's actually the original demo!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 5 February 2004 17:24 (twenty-two years ago)

if hurdy-gurdies count - evidently in this case they don't, being a different kind of beast (tho certainly magnificent instruments in their own right)

whoops, you're right. always figured they were some kind of hand-cranked cousin. well, how about Harry Partch then?

― bobo, Friday, 6 February 2004 09:12 (twenty-two years ago)

As I recall, there's a Zorn/Eye duo disc on Tzadik that has harmonium

That would be the Mystic Fugu Orchestra album.

Also featuring harmonium:

Myra Melford - Dance Beyond the Color - Melford actually received a fellowship to study the harmonium in India and she uses it to great effect on this avant-jazz CD (alongside her excellent piano-playing of course).

Frank Pahl - plays harmonium in various projects including Immigrant Suns, Only a Mother, Scavenger Quartet and many more.

― o. nate (onate), Friday, 6 February 2004 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

If you have any idea who is Grouse Mountain Skyride -- the 1993 group with me, Dame Darcy, and the painter Christine Shields -- there's plenty of harmonium riffing on the "Funeral Diggers" single put out by ZK Records-Japan. The harmonium is a very inspirational device; it looks just like a pioneer-era infant casket.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Friday, 6 February 2004 21:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Mine does, anyway. I'm sure Cornershop owns one injection-molded in Switzerland from clear and red plastic, with a MIDI port.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Friday, 6 February 2004 22:04 (twenty-two years ago)

the 1993 group with me, Dame Darcy, and the painter Christine Shields

!!!!!

Um, so you selling any copies of this single still?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 7 February 2004 17:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Completing your Appalachian doom-folk collection? The ZK record is long-gone, but there's a 4-song 7" EP and the Rock Stars Kill comp -- both minus harmonium.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Saturday, 7 February 2004 21:04 (twenty-two years ago)

Completing your Appalachian doom-folk collection

I just like doom in general.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 7 February 2004 21:07 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.zoomrang.com/harmo5ealb.jpg

― jazz odysseus, Saturday, 7 February 2004 21:11 (twenty-two years ago)

Here's where to feast on 'Funeral Diggers." It's a Williamsburg Death Trip.

― Ian Christe (Ian Christe), Saturday, 7 February 2004 21:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Thank ya sir, downloading now!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 7 February 2004 21:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Lowbelly, all variations of Stone Breath and Kammerflimmer Kollektief off the top of my head all use harmoniums.

Kammerflimmer's Cicadidae is incredible and should have it's own thread, so I'm going to start it now.

― Shaun (shaun), Sunday, 8 February 2004 05:50 (twenty-two years ago)

four weeks pass...

revive!

since we're way past songs I must mention charlamagne palestine's karenina 2 CD set, all indian harmonium and voice.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 7 March 2004 16:02 (twenty-two years ago)

I think Stars in Battledress uses a harmonium.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Sunday, 7 March 2004 16:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Current 93 - Sleep Has His House

This album consists of harmoniums for at least 90%.
Nico revisited! ;-)

― Roger in Mokum (Roger T), Sunday, 7 March 2004 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

Stars In Battledress and their companion band Defeat The Young both use a harmonium, yes.

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Sunday, 7 March 2004 16:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Allen Ginsberg "Prayer Blues"

― Sexy Dancer, Sunday, 7 March 2004 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

ha! can't believe I forgot that current 93 record (that palestine rec was release on david tibet's durtro label).

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 7 March 2004 18:27 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

I really hate this instrument. It seems incredibly tacky.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Thursday, 21 July 2005 23:46 (twenty years ago)

The Kaushiki Chakrabharty CD I just bought has harmonium on it and I can't believe they use such a rinky-dink instrument to accompany vocals of this sort. It kind of doesn't matter since I'm not getting into the vocals either, although I can't help thinking that Hindustani classical vocals should be up my alley--but no.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Thursday, 21 July 2005 23:49 (twenty years ago)

I saw a qawwali (uh, sp?) group play at BAM a couple months ago that was killing two harmoniums along w/their vocals -- they were shredding like nobody's business, so it def isn't always rinky-dink.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Thursday, 21 July 2005 23:58 (twenty years ago)

I saw one live qawali performance (Mehr and Shehr Ali, or something like that) and I enjoyed it, but it didn't change my mind about harmoniums.

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Friday, 22 July 2005 00:01 (twenty years ago)

I second (or third?) Ivor Cutler; check out The Beatles "We Can Work It Out"!

― SoHoLa (SoHoLa), Friday, 22 July 2005 03:03 (twenty years ago)

Nineteen hours of Gurdjieff harmonium improvs for $55

― Truckdrivin' Buddha (Rock Hardy), Friday, 22 July 2005 03:22 (twenty years ago)

That Gurdjieff collection is amazing, and so are the Hermann Nitsch CDs featuring heavy, droning harmonium.

― Justin Farrar (Justin Farrar), Friday, 22 July 2005 03:27 (twenty years ago)

I just listened to the samples at that link, and I may have to get that Gurdjieff set. (I only knew about it because there's a Robert Fripp connection.)

― Truckdrivin' Buddha (Rock Hardy), Friday, 22 July 2005 03:30 (twenty years ago)

Vishal Vaid to thread.

― Forksclovetofu (Forksclovetofu), Friday, 22 July 2005 04:02 (twenty years ago)

The harmonium is cool but it's basically just an exoticised accordion. I bet somebody could record a CD of droning accordian improvisations and pass it off as an experimental harmonium project on Tzadik.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Friday, 22 July 2005 04:04 (twenty years ago)

You have me with "We Can Work It Out" if that is really a harmonium. Also, I was not aware of that Gurdjieff material. Unbelievable--Gurdjieff harmonium recordings! (Not so unbelievable really.)

― Rockist_Scientist (RSLaRue), Friday, 22 July 2005 04:49 (twenty years ago)

Sounds like you and Judy Tenuta will be collaborating in the near future.

― Justin Farrar (Justin Farrar), Friday, 22 July 2005 04:59 (twenty years ago)

Marianne Nowottny to thread.

http://www.abatonbookcompany.us/mnsmiles.jpg

― Vg (1411), Friday, 22 July 2005 07:11 (twenty years ago)

droning accordian improvisations = some of Pauline Oliveros' stuff, too. Sounds a lot like harmonium, granted.

― Janne (Janne), Friday, 22 July 2005 07:15 (twenty years ago)

i'm pretty sure tori amos has used the harmonium on more than a couple songs...there are lots of live recordings also of her 1996 tour, doing like "purple rain" on the harmonium

― Johann (johann), Friday, 22 July 2005 09:19 (twenty years ago)

Some more (perhaps crassly obvious) examples:
Radiohead, "Motion Picture Soundtrack"
ELO, "Mama"
There's one on "My Sweet Lord" too.

― Deluxe (Damian), Friday, 22 July 2005 10:40 (twenty years ago)

four years pass...

oh.
under oknar "ranko rednu" by simon steensland and sten sandell has some ace harmoniums within growling monolithic brutal zeuhl prog-ism - somehow they make it sound more like pine-fired sweat-lodge music from an alien log-cabin.
you can get that cd here: https://ballou.net/secure/morganagren/

― bob snoom, Tuesday, 6 October 2009 12:42 (sixteen years ago)

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