[Sound Artist] Yuri Landman

Yuri Landman is a Dutch experimental luthier and musician; he is known for making experimental string instrument for many artists. He was in a band but since he was not classically trained, he started to build his own instruments to play. One of his most famous instruments is the Moodswinger, a twelve-string electric zither with an additional third bridge. He later continued to build more prepared guitar for different musicians such as the Springtime, Home Swinger, Twister guitar, Tafelberg,  Burner guitar, which are all variations based on string instrument (guitar). These instruments make it possible to play every note of the equal tempered scale, and produce multiple notes at the same time. 

Aside from building custom made instruments Landman also began a DIY workshop in 2009 (Home Swinger project) where people will build their copy of the instrument and present a performance afterward. Landman’s instruments are unique because they are designed for specific group and purpose. By adding more strings, though these guitars resemble the appearance of a traditional instrument (guitar, percussion, etc.) they are played differently and can be applied in pop music to create different sound effects appropriate for the stage. These experiemental instruments challenge the boundary of conventional instruments and our perception on the relationship between sound and music.