Dubreq Stylophone

The Dubreq Stylophone is a miniature stylus operated synthesizer invented in 1967 by Brian Jarvis. It consists of a metal keyboard played by touching it with a stylus - each note being connected to a cheap voltage-controlled oscillator via a different-value resistor - thus closing a circuit. Some three million Stylophones were sold, mostly as children's toys. Rolf Harris appeared for several years as the Stylophone's advertising spokesman in the United Kingdom.

Usage

The Stylophone appears on a few commercial recordings, most notably David Bowie's "Space Oddity" and "Slip Away" and the commercial rave single "Stylophonia" by Two Little Boys in 1991. Kraftwerk used the Stylophone on the track "Pocket Calculator" from their album "Computer World". The British duo Erasure also employed it on the single "Don't Say Your Love Is Killing Me" (from the album "Cowboy" in 1997) as well as on their 2000 album "Loveboat". In a lesser-known instance, the Stylophone is used for the bulk of Orbital's single, "Style". Marilyn Manson made use of it for "You and Me and the Devil Makes 3". They Might Be Giants played the Stylophone in several of their songs, including a number on their 2007 album, "The Else". Jon Spencer has used the Stylophone extensively on recordings with his band Blues Explosion, and has famously had problems bringing the device — described as "the world's most annoying musical instrument" — through airport security.Fact|date=September 2007 Korn used the instrument on their seventh studio album, 2005's "See You on the Other Side", during the introduction of its thirteenth track, "Seen It All".

The stylophone is also listed as being played by Jack White on the Raconteurs' 2008 album Consolers of the Lonely. While on tour in 2008, the Raconteurs' merchandise booths included Stylophones as something to be purchased by concert-goers.

The more versatile "S30s" version of the instrument was used by UK experimentalists Camberwell Now, and appeared on their album "All's Well". The 350s dual-stylus version was also extensively used as a lead instrument by British band Pulp from 1992 to 1994. Its glacial tones are particularly evident on their breakthrough album "His 'n' Hers" (most notably the songs "Happy Endings" and "Pink Glove") whilst the 1993 album, "Intro", features a track called "Styloroc (Nights of Surburbia)" which revolves around a riff played on the first model.

2007 revival

In October 2007 toy company Re:creation, in conjunction with Dubreq Ltd (re-formed in 2003 by the son of the original inventor), re-launched the Stylophone. The new model has a volume control and features an MP3 function, as well as sporting two new sounds. [cite web|url=http://www.pocket-lint.co.uk/news/news.phtml/10148/11172/Stylophones-relaunched-HMV-retro-music.phtml|title="Iconic" Seventies Stylophone to be revived by HMV|last=Elliott|first=Amy-Mae|date=14 September 2007|publisher=Pocket-Lint Ltd|accessdate=2008-04-10]

In popular culture

In the "Doctor Who" audio drama "Horror of Glam Rock," a glam rocker in 1974 is contacted by aliens through his stylophone, and playing a certain tune on the instrument summons the aliens to Earth. The play includes an original song (composed by Tim Sutton and performed by Stephen Gately and Clare Buckfield) which heavily features the Stylophone.

Comedian Adam Buxton uses one in The Adam and Joe Show for the theme tune of "Louise's Guide to Life".

Phil and Paul Hartnoll (AKA Orbital) featured the Stylophone on the track "Style" from the album "The Middle of Nowhere".

In "The Green Wing (2004)" UK TV series' , "S01E08 - Slave Auction" episode, Boyce (Oliver Chris) is seen playing the Soft Cell version of the song "Tainted Love" on a stylophone.

Notes

External links

* [http://web.archive.org/web/20000816045047/http://www.stylophone.freeserve.co.uk/ The Official Dubreq Stylophone Collectors Website]
* [http://www.stylophone.fsnet.co.uk/ Stylophone Collectors Website ]
* [http://www.hollowsun.com/vintage/stylophone/ Hollow Sun] -- Description and samples
* [http://www.roth-handle.nu/instruments/oddness_stylophone.html Pictures and films of the Stylophone]
* [http://www.retrosound.de/hobbyton.htm Retrosound-Hobbyton] -- Self-built Stylophone by Dr. Böhm
* [http://www.retrosound.de/stylophone.htm Retrosound-Stylophone] -- Dubreq Stylophone pics and more
* [http://www.miniorgan.com Microorgan] -- Dubreq Stylophone and lots of fakes
* [http://www.myspace.com/realmanngegenmann Mann Gegen Mann] -- Stylophone live performance group