SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: STEPHEN HAMM: THERAMIN MAN – LIVE FROM PLANET EARTH

STEPHEN HAMM: THERAMIN MAN
LIVE FROM PLANET EARTH
LIGHT ORGAN RECORDS

Hailing from Vancouver, Stephen Hamm (aka Theremin Man) is an interesting artist. His band from the mid-1980s, Slow, helped define post punk music, not just in Canada, but worldwide, as the band was namechecked by a lot of artists. Over the years, Hamm has been in many bands, including Tankhog and The Evaporators. He also struck out on his own to release some very interesting and great music. As his name states, he does play a mean theremin, but he also writes incredible melodies and intriguing lyrics

His latest album, Live From Planet Earth, is a live album recorded on May 25, 2024, at 604 Records Sound Stage in East Vancouver with The Space Family Band. The theremin is an important and fascinating instrument. It was a precursor to the synthesizer, and initially used for sound effects for films, usually science fiction or horror films. It is also used as a musical instrument, don’t ask me how, but it is all about breaking electronic signals.

But a few inventive souls explored and played with the instrument and began to see it as a viable musical tool. Brian Wilson used it for “Good Vibrations”. It is also an instrument that over the years, because of the synthesizer, fell out of favour. Hamm is trying to change all that. He plays the theremin and builds songs around the spacey sounds. He also plays the synthesizer to fill out the sound. As such he creates very atmospheric and cinematic music. The opening track, Intro/Sagittarius, A-Star”, is a great example of how a theremin can be played and used effectively.

The majority of songs performed live are from Hamm’s 2024 album, Songs For The Future. Here the songs take on an energy, perhaps due to playing with a live band or reacting to the audience. But Hamm sounds like he is having fun and the music, which is very theremin and synth-based, is performed extremely well. Hamm’s vocals are strong and the use of theremin in the songs adds a whole level of fun and sometimes creepiness. He does perform his cover of The Rolling Stones’ “2000 Light Years From Home”, which was one of their forays into psychedelia. Here, Hamm turns it on its ear and focuses on the overall uneasiness of the song.

One would not expect Hamm to be a showman, yet his performance is grand and theatrical. The music coming from the stage fits the overall ambience of the concert and it must have been a great show in which to attend. As it is, Live From Planet Earth is a perfect artifact of an artist performing and creating magic. The album also demonstrates how thrilling an instrument like a theremin actually is and how it can be played and enjoyed.

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