Yuri Landman (born February 1, 1973) is a Dutch musical instrument inventor^[1] and musicologist^[2] who has made several experimental electric string instruments for a list of artists among which Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth^[3], Liars^[4], Jad Fair of Half Japanese and Liam Finn. He has also been active as a comic book creator, musician, and singer.

Contents 1 Comic books 2 Musician 3 Music instrument builder 3.1 Moodswinger 3.1.1 Tuning and scales 3.1.2 Moodswinger overtone diagram 3.2 Moonlander 3.3 Springtime 4 Lectures, presentations & exhibitions 5 Discography 5.1 Audio 5.2 Video 5.3 Albums 5.4 Video 6 References 7 Sources 7.1 Dutch 8 External links

[edit] Comic books

Yuri Landman made his debut in the comics field in 1997 with 'Je Mag Alles Met Me Doen' (in Dutch). In the follow-up, released in 1998, 'Het Verdiende Loon', Landman described his negative experiences on a daily job.^[5] For the second title he received the 1998 Breda Prize,^[6] an award for rising new comic artists in Holland. Since then he has published no other comic books.

[edit] Musician

Together with Cees van Appeldoorn, he formed the lo-fi band Zoppo playing bass and prepared guitar.^[7] After 2 albums and several 7”singles, Landman left the band. Landman then formed the noise band Avec Aisance (aka Avec-A) with drummer/producer Valentijn Höllander and released a CD, Vivre dans l’aisance.

[edit] Music instrument builder

Landman is musically untrained and cannot play chords. While with Avec-A, Landman began creating and building several experimental string instruments, including electric zithers, electric Cymbalum, and electric Koto. Most of aren't regular instruments, but look more like multi-string crossbows and their sounds derive from string resonance, microtonality and overtoning spectra based on the no wave aesthetics of Glenn Branca and the microtonal consonant theory developed by Harry Partch.^[8]

In the period 2000-2005 Landman created 9 prototype instruments.

• The black 4-string movable 3rd bridge zither.
• The red capozither, shown on the cover of Vivre dans l’aisance.
• Robocop, a 6 string heavily adjusted guitar with 2 additional bridges and 3 outputs.
• The 12 string overtonezither, the first prototype of Aaron Hemphill’s Moodswinger.
• The blonde 3 string stereo-guitar, 1 bassstring tuned B, and 2 thin B tuned guitarstrings.
• The green 7 string trio-guitar, 1 bassstring, DAD tuned guitarstring and 3 G#-strings.
• The Electric Spring"
• The electric cymbalum, 72 strings, 12 pickups, one for each tone.
• The blue 4 string supertremolo-guitar, with no fretboard, but an adjustable pitchcontroll for the left hand.

[edit] Moodswinger

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In March 2006 Landman was contacted by the noise band Liars to make an instrument for them. After 6 months he finished 2 copies of The Moodswinger, an electric 12 string 3rd bridge overtone koto, one for guitarist/drummer Aaron Hemphill and one for himself.^[9] After Liars received their Moodswinger, they started recording their fourth album Liars. The song Leather Prowler is played with the Moodswinger,^[10] in many reviews confused with a piano.^[11] In 2008 the Moodswinger II was released as a serial product. Jessie Stein of The Luyas owns a copy.

Although it closely resembles an electric guitar, it is actually a zither, as it has neither frets nor a proper neck. The pickup and electronics are built into the neck instead of in the body like usual electric guitars.

The 3rd bridge divides the strings into two segments with different pitches. Depending on where the string is played, a bell-like harmonic second tone is created. The string resonates more or less when the back side is struck, depending on the position of the 3rd bridge along the string. This can be explained by acoustic resonance and microtonality. At harmonic nodal positions, the string resonates more than at other positions. For instance, dividing the string 1/3 + 2/3 creates a clear overtone, while 24/33 + 9/33 creates an indistinct overtone. The color dotted scale indicates the simple-number ratios up to the 7 limit (on the Moodswinger II to the 8 limit.) On these positions just intoned harmonic dyads occur.

[edit] Tuning and scales

The Moodswinger is focused on a non-atonal playing technique. A mathematical scale is added to specify 23 harmonic positions on the strings. Because the instrument has 12 strings, tuned in a circle of fourths, it is always possible to play every note of the equal tempered scale. However some positions have a + or - indication, because the equal tempered scale is not a perfect well-tempered scale.^[13]

The tuning of this instrument is a circle of fourths: E-A-D-G-C-F-A#-D#-G#-C#-F#-B, arranged in 3 clusters of 4 strings each to make the field of strings better readable.

Because of this tuning all five neighbouring strings form a harmonic pentatonic scale and all seven neighbouring strings form a major scale, available in every key. This allows a very easy fingerpicking technique without picking false notes, if the right key is chosen.

The instrument has 3 printed scales, used as guides for positioning the moveable third bridge and reading the played notes:

• The normal guitar (equal-tempered) scale
• An inverse scale (large steps between the frets at the top of the neck, small ones at the body bridge)
• A microtonal scale which shows "logical" string divisions in the following color-coded groups:
  • Grey dot: 1/2
  • Red dot: 1/3+2/3
  • Orange dot: 1/4+3/4
  • Yellow dot: 1/5-4/5
  • Green dot: 1/6+5/6
  • Cyan dot: 1/7-6/7
  • And a smaller subscale for the higher-pitched overtones near the body bridge in colored lines:
    • Grey line: 1/8
    • Red line: 1/9
    • Orange line: 1/10
    • Yellow line: 1/11
    • Green line: 1/12
    • Blue line: 1/16

On the Moodswinger II the 1/8, 3/8, 5/8 and 7/8 are Blue dotted. On the Home Swinger the same color system occurs.

[edit] Moodswinger overtone diagram

The sound of a 3rd bridged string is a combination of 3 tones. A soft sounding attack tone of the string part hit at the body side, the corresponding overtone of both sides and a resonating low fundamenal tone of the counterpart of the string at the head side. The diagram below shows the tone combinations of the overtone (above) and the low tone of the counterpart (below). The attack tone is in most positions exact the same note as the overtone. Exceptions are 3/4, 3/5, 3/7 and 5/7. In the 3/... positions the overtone is a perfect fifth of the attack tone, in the 5/7 positions the overtone is a major third of the attack tone.

Bridge position	Colour codes	Attack tone related to open string[14]	Resonating fundamental of the counterpart [14] related to open string	Corresponding overtone related to open string	Corresponding overtone related to fundamental of the counterpart	Cents of string parts[15] Body : Neck
0		Unison	Unison
1/16	Grey line	4 Octaves	Diatonic semitone	4 Octaves	Augmented fourth 21ma	111.73 : 4800.00
1/12	Green line	Just Perfect fifth 21ma	Lesser undecimal neutral second	Just Perfect fifth 21ma	Just Perfect fourth 21ma	150.64 : 4302.00
1/11	Yellow line	Greater septimal tritone 21 ma	Greater undecimal neutral second	Greater septimal tritone 21 ma	Just major third 21ma	165.00 : 4151.30
1/10	Orange line	Just major third 21ma	Just minor tone	Just major third 21ma	Just minor tone 21ma	182.40 : 3986.30
1/9	Red line	Just minor tone 21ma	Major second or Just minor tone	Just minor tone 21ma	3 Octaves	203.91 : 3803.90
1/8	Grey line	3 Octaves	Diminished third	3 Octaves	Just Major sixth 15ma	203.91 : 3600.00
1/7	Blue dot	Augmented sixth 15ma	Septimal minor third	Augmented sixth 15ma	Just Perfect fifth 15ma	266.87 : 3368.80
1/6	Green dot	Just perfect fifth 15ma	Just minor third	Just perfect fifth 15ma	Just major third 15ma	315.64 : 3102.00
1/5	Yellow dot	Just major third 15ma	Just major third	Just major third 15ma	2 Octaves	386.31 : 2786.30
1/4	Orange dot	Fifteenth	Just perfect fourth	Fifteenth	Twelfth	498.04 : 2400.00
2/7	Blue dot	Augmented sixth 8va	Augmented fourth or tritone	Augmented sixth 15ma	Just major third 15ma	582.51 : 1782.51
1/3	Red dot	Twelfth	Just perfect fifth	Twelfth	Octave	701.96 : 1901.96
2/5	Yellow dot	Just major third 8va	Just major sixth	Just major third 15ma	Just Perfect fifth 8va	884.36 : 1586.31
3/7	Blue dot	Septimal minor third 8va	Augmented sixth	Augmented sixth 15ma	2 Octaves	968.83 :1466.87
1/2	Grey dot	Octave	Octave	Octave	Unison	1200.00 :1200.00
4/7	Blue dot	Augmented sixth	Septimal minor third 8va	Augmented sixth 15ma	Just Perfect fifth 8va	1466.87 : 968.83
3/5	Yellow dot	Just major sixth	Just major third 8va	Just major third 15ma	Octave	1586.31 : 884.36
2/3	Red dot	Just perfect fifth	Twelfth	Twelfth	Unison	1901.96 : 701.96
5/7	Blue dot	Augmented fourth or tritone	Augmented sixth 8va	Augmented sixth 15ma	Octave	1782.51 : 582.51
3/4	Orange dot	Just perfect fourth	Fifteenth or 2 Octaves	Fifteenth	Unison	2400.00 : 498.04
4/5	Yellow dot	Just major third	Just major third 15ma	Just major third 15ma	Unison	2786.30 : 386.31
5/6	Green dot	Just minor third	Just Perfect fifth 15ma	Just Perfect fifth 15ma	Unison	3102.00 : 315.64
6/7	Blue dot	Septimal minor third	Augmented sixth 15ma	Augmented sixth 15ma	Unison	3368.80 : 266.87

[edit] Moonlander

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In November 2006 Landman contacted Sonic Youth to make an instrument for them. After 3 months he finished 2 copies of The Moonlander, a biheaded electric 18 string drone guitar, one for guitarist Lee Ranaldo and one for himself.^[16]

Based on a biplane, Landman combined the theorbo with the electric guitar. The 12 droning strings create a natural reverb, with specific desired frequencies, depending on in which tones the strings are tuned. The standard tuning for the droning strings is a circle of fourths divided over two octaves.

Besides this acoustic reverb possibility the guitar is also a stereo guitar. The two rotated pickups individually send out different signals coming from different strings, to make it possible to play two different guitar parts on one instrument at the same time. The nut and bridge allow repositioning of the strings, modifying the Moonlander into a coursed instrument.

The Moonlander is visually a hybrid of the offset-waist body shaped lake placid blue Fender Electric XII with matching headstock and the Vox Mark VI. The name is derived from the 1979 computer game Moonlander aka Lunar Lander.

The Moonlander is a biheaded electric guitar with 18 strings: 6 normal strings and 12 sympathetic strings. Although it closely resembles an electric version of a harp guitar it is actually an electric sympathetic string guitar, because the droning strings are not meant to be plucked, but resonate on the played tones from the six normal strings.^[16] The drone strings cross the plucked strings at an angle, and are attached to the machine head by a raised headstock.

The guitar has four separate outputs:

1. The output for the bridge pickup, like on any other normal guitar
2. The output for the droning strings pickup
3. Output 3 for the upper rotated neck pickup, for a stereo option
4. Output 4 for the lower rotated neck pickup, for a stereo option

Similar to the Liars' Moodswinger, two blue copies of this instrument have been made, one for Ranaldo and one for Landman himself. Currently Landman is finishing another experimental instrument for Jad Fair of Half Japanese.

[edit] Springtime

The Springtime is an experimental electric guitar with seven strings and three outputs. The first prototype of this instrument created in 2008 was made for guitar player Laura-Mary Carter of Blood Red Shoes.^[17] Afterwards he also made copies for Lou Barlow and dEUS' Mauro Pawlowski. For John Schmersal of Enon he built the Twister guitar, an alternate version of the Springtime.

In 2009 he finished instruments for The Dodos, Liam Finn and Finn Andrews of The Veils. For The Dodos and Finn electric 24 string drum guitars called the Tafelberg and for Andrews an electric 17 string harp guitar called the Burner guitar.

[edit] Lectures, presentations & exhibitions

Besides building instruments Landman also gives musicological lectures at venues, festivals and music related educational institutes about a theory based on physical laws he calls The Helix of Consonance, derived from his third bridge theory on the Moodswinger, commonly known as the screwdriver technique Sonic Youth often employs, especially on their early albums. One of these lectures was given at the Primavera Sound Festival 2008.^[18] Landman published the essay 3rd Bridge Helix - From Experimental Punk to Ancient Chinese Music & the Universal Physical Laws of Consonance in which he clarifies the relation between this prepared guitar technique and the consonant values present in non-Western scales especially the musical scale used on the Ancient Chinese musical instrument the guqin^[19]. He published an extensive 8 chapter guide how to prepare a guitar.

[edit] Discography

with Zoppo

[edit] Audio

• Chi pratica lo impare zoppicare (Drowning Man Records, 1998)
• Nontonnen promo 7" (Blackbean & Placenta, 1998)
• Double the fun splitt 7" (Drowning Man Records, 1999)
• Belgian Style Pop (Drowning Man/Transformed Dreams, 1999)

[edit] Video

• Flooded made by Dan Geesin (1999)

with Avec Aisance

[edit] Albums

• Vivre dans l'aisance (Drowning Man Records, 2004)

[edit] Video

• Not like my sister behaves (2004)
• A second too lazy (2005)
• Like my friend blue (2005)

[edit] References

[edit] Sources

[edit] Dutch

• Zoppo bio in Dutch on The Dutch Rock & Pop Institute
• Avec-A bio in Dutch on The Dutch Rock & Pop Institute
• Yuri Landman referencelist in Dutch on The Dutch Rock & Pop Institute
• Article on popmuzikant.nl (in Dutch)

[edit] External links

• www.hypercustom.com Official website of Yuri Landman's string instruments

v • d • e Instrument intonation Just intonation in any key Fretless string instrument  · Pedal steel guitar  · Trombone  · Human voice  · Synthesizer Dynamic intonation adjustment Fretted string instrument  · Wind instruments Just intonation in one key Bagpipe  · Natural horn  · Tromba marina  · Long string instrument  · Harmonica Retunable to a just key Keyboard instruments Flageolet tones or natural overtone series Guqin · Đàn bầu Physical just-intoned string part relation with additional 3rd bridge Monochord  · Pencilina  · Moodswinger