Pamelia Kurstin
Encyclopedia
Pamelia Kurstin is a theremin
player who has performed and recorded with artists such as David Byrne
, Richard Cheese, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
, and Ulver
(on the album Shadows of the Sun
) and has performed on the television show Saturday Night Live
. Her background as a jazz musician on the upright bass has led to her "walking bass" theremin technique. She was based in New York until 2005; she now lives in Vienna.
She was first introduced to the theremin during production of the album Into the Oh in 1999 by Luaka Bop
duo Geggy Tah
– singer/writer Tommy Jordan and keyboardist Greg Kurstin
. Kurstin recorded Gymnopedie in 2000 as a member of the theremin/keyboard duo called "The Kurstins" with her then-husband, Greg. Her first solo album Thinking Out Loud was released in 2007 on the Tzadik
label. She also appears on the Foetus album "Love", and has also composed music for a CNN special using her theremin orchestra. She makes an appearance in the 2004 documentary Moog
.
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
player who has performed and recorded with artists such as David Byrne
David Byrne (musician)
David Byrne is a musician and artist, best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of the American new wave band Talking Heads, which was active between 1975 and 1991. Since then, Byrne has released his own solo recordings and worked with various media including film, photography,...
, Richard Cheese, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones is a primarily instrumental group from the United States, that draws equally on bluegrass, fusion and jazz, sometimes dubbed "blu-bop". The band formed in 1988, initially to perform once on the PBS series Lonesome Pine Specials. The Flecktones have toured extensively...
, and Ulver
Ulver
Ulver is a musical group from Norway. Since their first, folklore-influenced black metal release entitled Bergtatt – Et eeventyr i 5 capitler , Ulver’s musical style has been fluid and increasingly eclectic, blending genres such as rock, electronica, symphonic and chamber traditions, noise and...
(on the album Shadows of the Sun
Shadows of the Sun
Shadows of the Sun is the seventh studio album by the Norwegian experimental band Ulver, released on October 1, 2007 in Europe and on October 2 in the United States. The title was announced on July 13, 2007 and the album was described as "low-key, dark and tragic"...
) and has performed on the television show Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
. Her background as a jazz musician on the upright bass has led to her "walking bass" theremin technique. She was based in New York until 2005; she now lives in Vienna.
She was first introduced to the theremin during production of the album Into the Oh in 1999 by Luaka Bop
Luaka Bop
Luaka Bop is a world music-oriented record label established by David Byrne, former guitarist, singer-songwriter and producer of the art rock/new wave band Talking Heads. It has been a wholly independent label since leaving V2 in 2006. Previous distribution relationships included Warner and Virgin...
duo Geggy Tah
Geggy Tah
Geggy Tah is a band initially composed of writer/singer Tommy Jordan and keyboard/guitarist Greg Kurstin. Each of them has a younger sister who was unable to pronounce her brother's name when very young; "Geggy" and "Tah" were the baby girls' mispronunciations of their brothers' names.Their first...
– singer/writer Tommy Jordan and keyboardist Greg Kurstin
Greg Kurstin
Gregory Allen "Greg" Kurstin is an award-winning American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. In 2009 Kurstin received a Grammy Award nomination for Producer of the Year. That same year he won three Ivor Novello awards for his work with Lily Allen, including Songwriters of the Year for "The Fear"...
. Kurstin recorded Gymnopedie in 2000 as a member of the theremin/keyboard duo called "The Kurstins" with her then-husband, Greg. Her first solo album Thinking Out Loud was released in 2007 on the Tzadik
Tzadik Records
Tzadik Records is a record label based in New York City specialising in avant-garde and experimental music. The label was established by the eclectic composer and saxophonist John Zorn in 1995; Zorn is the executive producer of all Tzadik releases...
label. She also appears on the Foetus album "Love", and has also composed music for a CNN special using her theremin orchestra. She makes an appearance in the 2004 documentary Moog
Moog (film)
Moog is a 2004 documentary film by Hans Fjellestad about electronic instrument pioneer Dr. Robert Moog. The film features scenes of Dr. Moog interacting with various musical artists who view Moog as an influential figure in the history of electronic music....
.
External links
- Myspace site
- Official site
- Barbez's website
- Tzadik site
- Pamelia Kurstin links and info at ThereminWorld
- Interview at Guardian website
- Improvisation at Guardian website
- Pamelia Kurstin interview (march 2003) for QRD
- TED Talks: Pamelia Kurstin plays the theremin at TEDTED (conference)TED is a global set of conferences owned by the private non-profit Sapling Foundation, formed to disseminate "ideas worth spreading"....
in 2002