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Mammoth Beat Organ
he Dunning Underwood Mammoth Beat Organ is
a modular, mechanical music contraption created
by Sam Underwood and Graham Dunning.
Designed as a two-player, semi-autonomous musical
instrument, it plays unusual, sometimes erratic
compositions drawing on drone music, minimalist
repetition, and fairground organ techniques.
The pair iterated through various power sources, using a roller from
the back of a hearse and a motor out of an old treadmill, and settled
on a roller from a conveyor belt. This sits at the centre of the device.
This turns bike wheels attached to different instruments, and the
system is modular, so Sam and Graham can swap components in and
out mid-performance to create a unique sound every time it’s played.
The valves that distribute air to the various organ pipes are
repurposed ballcock valves from toilets.
Says Graham: “It’s slightly dangerous... there are various parts
where you can trap your fingers in the gears. I think you’d have to
really know what you’re doing to not injure yourself.”
“It’s heavy, cumbersome, and completely fills my van,” says Sam,
“but it takes the music in a different direction. We never know where
it’s going to lead.”T
By Sam Underwood and Graham DunningMammothBeatOrgan.co.ukRight
This semi-autonomous
modular mechanical
music instrument
had its debut
performance at the
Supersonic Festival