Jam session with improvised instruments

The drum is a box. The bass is made of two balloons. The results are delightful.

(Thanks, Marti Siebert!)

Previously:

Maggie Koerth-Baker is the science editor at BoingBoing.net. She writes a monthly column for The New York Times Magazine and is the author of Before the Lights Go Out, a book about electricity, infrastructure, and the future of energy. You can find Maggie on Twitter and Facebook.

Maggie goes places and talks to people. Find out where she'll be speaking next.

MORE: Entertainment

More at Boing Boing

Ants and Stars: Bruce Sterling and Jasmina Tesanovic visit the Sardinia Radio Telescope in Italy

The Snowden Principle

stosh machek

i use the cajon in two different bands i’m currently working with…thing is, they’re not musical genres one might typically find cajons associated with; alt. folk, & country/americana …mine’s made in germany & has snares inside for extra rattle, (there are even fancy versions w/ dampening pedals, & such) …the effect is like a stripped down trap set w/no hardware to lug around…the instrument originated in peru & became popular w/ afro-cuban & flamenco musicians…but its mad adaptable as evidenced here
Mark Crummett

Needs more uke. And I’m surprised at the disturbing lack of cowbell.
Anonymous

People say the box is an instrument called the cajÃ³n. I say it’s a box. You know why? CajÃ³n means “big box” in Spanish.
Dewi Morgan

OK, I’m a convert. More improv instruments!
Day Vexx

I just featured some of Judy Dunaway’s “Mother of Balloon Music” album on my last radio broadcast. Now that’s some seriously amazing balloon work!
Anonymous

that’s better than i can do with real instruments.
kaffeen

Play that funky music white boy.
scifijazznik

Way better than the MGMT video.
- Anonymous
  
  right on the frickin’ money with that ~ Lo fi wins again!
VagabondAstronomer

Needs a cigar box guitar.
Pretty cool, though.
Anonymous

Wundbar!
wrybread

Love the balloon bass.

Here’s a version without the insanely annoying lead-in advertisement:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJHUwlsY9g4
- Maggie Koerth-Baker
  
  Many thanks. I’ll switch that up.
johnocomedy

It appears to be an ELECTRIC balloon bass. very nice
Anonymous

The box is a real instrument. Technically. A Cajon. From Cuba I think.
jeligula

These two remind me of Bob Mould and Grant Hart.
Boeotian

The drum is not just a box, It’s a CajÃ³n.
- Anonymous
  
  Exactly! It’s CajÃ³n or “drum box”, not a box, big difference.
- gATO
  
  CajÃ³n, yes. It is used a lot in Flamenco performances.
folkclarinet

Add the carrot clarinet and you’ve really got something…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWbj7FYEi3M
Anonymous

Would squeezing the resonator balloon with his arm change anything? I wonder if he could get an extra degree of freedom on his sound that way.
Permanent4

Nice. The drummer reminds me a little of Porterdavis, whom I saw down in Austin last July. Their drummer is also a guy who sits on a box, though that box is a little more robust. (Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TW3z6NKGyY)
- N3OX
  
  Reminded me of porterdavis too. They’re friends of friends of mine and come through here in Maryland every now and again. Their drummer has the cajon and a bunch of stuff strapped to other appendages… bells on one leg sounding kind of like a hi hat, etc. Love those guys.
Anonymous

that is awesomeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
way to go!
mbatey

I like the way the one guy has just got in from his office-drone job, while the other is unemployed.