Electric Autoharp (Oscar Schmidt 21 Chord Bar setup on a 1978 Chromaharp w/ pickup), Casio CZ-1, Kawai SX-210.
Bent:
Drum Invader, Barbietron, Fuckapede, Addams Apple, Speak N' Math, CatScan
More every few weeks... See videos below for demonstrations of bent instruments.
Influences
Devo, The Residents, Mr. Bungle, Man... or Astroman?, The Pixies, Frank Zappa, The Unicorns, Brian Dewan, They Might Be Giants, Quintron, a shit ton of circuit benders and autoharp players in the Chicago area, Reed Ghazala.
Creme DeMentia is simply the solo recordings of yours truly, Austin Cliffe.
I have always been interested in music, but only now, at the age of 24, am I starting to really "write", play, and record music. I did some rapping with my band Honkeys With Privileges, though my friends Gary and Rob wrote almost all of the music. My MCing talents are showcased in the song "Master of Time and Space."
Over the last year I have become somewhat obsessed with circuit bending, the art of turning battery operated noise makers into profoundly stranger battery operated noise makers. I now have 8 different toys and instruments that I have reenvisioned into unique and sometimes wild sound synthesizers.
This music is pretty much composed and recorded in Apple's GarageBand, using an electric autoharp (that can be heard in Taxidermist Ventriloquist), a Kawai SX-210 synthesizer (also on that track), a Casio CZ-1 midi synthesizer, and a wealth of circuit-bent instruments as I slowly create and learn to play them.
Credit will be given where credit is due for any songs not performed entirely by myself.
Here's some recent video of me at Lo-Fi Fest (see getlofi.com for details on that show). Start viewing them from the top down. Take a look at my Youtube Channel for other live videos of me and other acts at Lo-Fi Fest.
i am sorry to hear that you are not feeling well these days. get better soon, we should play together again sometime. i am really getting a lot of use out of that contact mic you gave to me. thanks. take care.
