Hohner Melodica Piano 27
Ex marching band melodica made in Germany by the legendary Hohner Company and bought for 20 pence from a car boot sale in Yorkshire. This free-reed wind instrument has an incredible mellow tone quite unlike any of its peers.
Energy Chimes
Suspended metal bars with a seemingly endless sustain. Designed for use in meditation and healing, these chimes are perfect for cleansing tired minds.
Ocarina
Beautifully made from pale, pink clay and decorated with a slate grey lizard-monkey. The word ocarina means "little goose" and this egg-shaped flute has a smooth, soft tone reminiscent of Ennio Morricone's score for 'The Good, The Bad And The Ugly'.
Rainbow Bells
Rubber mounted on curved beechwood, these brightly coloured metal bells are tuned diatonically and have a piercing sound with a sharp attack and smooth decay.
Rosen Autoharp
Manufactured in the former East Germany in the 1960s, this clunky decorative instrument has noisy chord bars, rusty strings and a beautifully balanced 'singing' sound.
Powerdrive 300s
This high-carbon, steel blade buzz generator emits a warm, soothing chord, rich in overtones. The adjustable taper lever allows for expressive modulation of the sound.
Nord Drum
This bargain, blood-red beatbox was handmade in Sweden and is capable of a huge range of percussive sounds. From organic, analogue sounding snares to wildly bending synthetic toms, punchy electronic kick drums and sizzling cymbals.
Gretsch Lapsteel
With its body of solid mahogany, this open-tuned guitar has a rich sound. A smooth, rounded glass bar is used to create dusty, sliding chords and delicate tones.
Junior Zither
Produced in Milan, sold in Surbiton then picked up in a seaside fleamarket in Denmark, this metal framed harp is tuned diatonically and blends well with other string sounds. Used in the metronomic score for Dunhill's Christmas Gifting campaign, 2014.
Ærø Ukelele
This bottle-green, nylon-stringed ukelele has been plucked, bowed, beaten and strummed and can be heard in a range of compositions including the 'Minibeast Maxifeast' film for The Guardian newspaper.
Dewtron Mister Bassman
Modified low-end beast. Highly unpredictable but warmer than wool and smoother than silk. Used to anchor the filtered organ and sparse guitar in 'Vikings' (excerpt below).
Cheese Slice Flexiharp
Like the ancient Chinese Konghou, this crude, steel lyre features an unusual doubled back string allowing the player to use vibrato and note bending.
Yamaha Pianica P-36
From the included manual: "The three elements of music are rhythm, melody and harmony, as you know. The instrument you can find at hand with all the elements is the Pianica.... a piano in the hand and easy windinstrument. The tone is clear, loud and rich enough to enjoy music out of doors".
Broken Smoke Alarm
This former lifesaver is reborn as an electronic cricket, chirping away at a frantic 234 bpm. Perfect for adding a syncopated swing or an insectile rhythm.
Irish Whistle
Made in Dublin, this diatonically tuned 'D' whistle is made from brushed brass with a plastic mouthpiece, known as as a 'fipple'. It has a bright tone and a two octave range. Sounds great with delay-effects.
Yamaha RS7000
A silver, sampling and sequencing synthesizer, for production and performance. Great for airy atmospheres and lush, lead lines. Hear it with the Nord Drum in 'Lantern'.
Stylophone
Picked up for pennies in a London charity shop, this 1970s stylus-controlled keyboard has an optional vibrato switch, giving it a unique expressive quality which always cuts through the mix, even as part of a stylophone trio! Listen to The Stylophone Council's version of 'The Model' by Kraftwerk here.