With clients like Mike Patton on your list you must be doing something pretty interesting in the realm of experimental music gear, and Adachi Tomomi certainly is. Tomomi creates a range of synthesizers and theremins and other wonderful boxes housed in plastic tupperware containers which actually give them a pretty cool appearance. I particularly like the description for the Tomomin so I’ll post that for you to enjoy.

Tomomin is most famous instrument ADACHI have made because ADACHI had manufactured and sold it for many musicians. Mike Patton, Omoide-hatoba and some other musicians have used it. Tomomin is simple monophonic oscillator has strong sound. It is possible to cover all hearable range by 1 knob operation. Of course the name of the instrument refers the historical great electronic instruments “Theremin”. Now, ADACHI stops making it, maybe it will start again.

Tomomin Synthesizer II
Demonstration of self-made sound generator with 2 of C-MOS IC 40106. With external wires for touch. Originally it is stereo sound.

Adachi Tomomi- Instrument Page
Adachi Tomomi- More Great Videos

With a name like Cop Shoot Cop it’s no surprise you are most associated with being an addict (band members claimed it was a hatred of cops)…The band which formed in 1987 however was quite a monster when it was firing on all cylinders. I saw them play live only once in Tucson AZ, but it was a hell of a show that left an impression. At the time there were two bass players and the drummer stood inside a cage of drums and pieces of metal, which he turned into an industrial barrage. I think this song Interference from their Interscope release was about as close as they ever came to a real mainstream breakthrough (or maybe 10 dollar bill, but i think this song’s better). It has a pretty badass bass line, and you can certainly hear stuff that would have influence on perhaps Trent Reznor or other people who borrowed from “industrial” music! See also Lubricated Goat which was a later splinter group.

There are few bands or let’s just say no bands that can reach the brutal sonic power of the Swans from this era (one other band called Slo Deluxe a few of you might have heard of!). Music stripped down to it’s essence and sent forth in thunderous slow repetitive blasts that build and build but never really climax, but just twist around pummeling you in their extremity. Keep in mind this was around the time punk was dying entirely and speed metal was gaining popularity. This video does a decent job of capturing it, but there really is nothing that could compare with the live experience of The Swans. It’s interesting to note that recording is still perhaps in it’s infancy, if you think about it…you can’t really recreate a live experience. I never cared much for the later directions they went in, but I have included a documentary link below, in which Michael Gira explains his reasoning for a departure from the sonic overload. I understand his reasoning…I guess the end result just never interested me as much as the earlier stuff, which at the time was completely unique.

Swans- Documentary