Album Notes

Michael Masley has radically departed from the ancient tradition of his signiture instrument, the cymbalom (a chromatic Hungarian hammered dulcimer, first appearing as the Persian santour 2500 years ago).

Played with a \'hammer\' in each hand, Masley stayed with convention for 6 years before a \"sharp turn into sonic bushwhacking\" --inventing \"bowhammers\"-- fitted to each finger is a hammer with a 3-inch section of rosined horsehair (violin bow).

Adding thumbpicks, this approach enables plucking, bowing, & striking (\"bowhammer\" or PBS cymbalom).

GARBAGE Producer/drummer BUTCH VIG described the results in a Musician Magazine interview:

\"unbelievable harmonic resonances\"



ON CYMBALENNIUM--

\"Vast in scope...as wizardly a soundtrack to the Harry Potter books as one could hope for...\"
--Mitch Ritter / DIRTY LINEN

\"a very different musical world...a gigantic ear-opener\"
--Simen Viig Ostensen / TARKUS (Norway)

\"sparkling excursions...charoscuro nuances...these are new rhythms, harmonies, and constructions of a superior mind...\"
--Gianguligi Gasparetti / DEEP LISTENINGS (Italy)