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Photo courtesy of Elliptic Artist Management
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Photo courtesy of Elliptic Artist Management
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Mike Silverman wanted to be an original—just like most new musicians coming onto the already crowded indie music scene. But, he took it one step further than the rest: if he couldn’t manage to create a sound uniquely his own on an existing musical instrument, why not create a new one? The result is what he calls the magic pipe, a connected pair of electronically rigged aluminum pipes hosting orchestral bass strings—what appears to be a massive, 7-foot-tall conglomeration of metal, strings and electronic trigger points. Silverman, known to fans as That 1 Guy, will play this magic pipe at the Old Rock House on Thursday, October 22.
“The goal was to combine the different techniques I had learned on the double bass and then broaden the sonic possibilities,” Silverman says. “It’s hard for me to describe the sound because it doesn’t sound like anything else. There are a lot of familiar elements, though—the bowing sounds like cello or violin, a cross between a classical Indian instrument and some kind of mystical strings instrument from another planet. When I play percussively, it’s a similarly exotic beat—rhythms that you recognize, but filtered through a weird dream.”
Although Silverman built the first two prototypes himself, playing the first one professionally for about three years, he sought the help of an aerospace machinist for the latest version. Initially, the triggers on the instrument were repurposed percussion triggers connected to an input module that fed into a matrix of effects and sampler devices. As the various pieces of hardware involved in these creations were discontinued, Silverman was forced to convert to a computer sampler. Even so, the approach is similar—the trigger points cue samples of sounds that Silverman makes himself, using mostly found sources, like banging on a trash can or breaking a light bulb.
It’s no wonder he calls it the “magic pipe.” The possibilities for the sounds Silverman can create on the instrument—from the different ways he can play it to the different computerized sounds he can link to the trigger points—are virtually endless. This can make it difficult for him to develop a cohesive sound for a song.
Silverman explains, “Art thrives on limitations, and when you have a singular instrument, it’s easier to make a song, because you’re limited sonically.”
In order to limit himself, Silverman relies on his core techniques as a classical double bass player, and also the physical limitation of being a one-man band—he can only write music as complex as he can actually play, using just his own two hands and feet.
“Sometimes, when I’m creating a new song, I do get overwhelmed with the possibilities,” Silverman says. “I try to find a riff that I want to play and improvise and expand on that, so it inspires the sound I want. I also have to make some hard decisions, based on what I can physically play at one time. This forces me to trim the fat and get down to the core of the idea.”
And on top of this musical idea comes lyrics, as well. Silverman was a bass player first, but started singing background vocals at 15 years old and singing his own songs at 19, at the front of his band.
“The concept of a vocal narrative is super important to me,” Silverman says. “I think the audience’s ear wants to hear a story, so that’s an anchor point for my writing. My lyrics come from life experience, but in some ways, I treat the voice like an extension of the music itself, so very often, it’s a rhythmic or melodic idea that inspires the words.”
Photo courtesy of Elliptic Artist Management
In addition to the magic pipe, Silverman also plays the saw, an electronic version of an early Americana musical instrument, and the boot, another creation of his own. The boot serves as an acoustic-electric hand drum, similar to an African talking drum or an Indian tabla.
“I was searching for something to make a more subtle percussive sound than the pipe,” Silverman explains. “I found a boot in my closet and started playing the sole of it, and it was similar to what I wanted. I mounted the pick-up right on the inside of the sole, and it had this weird, dreamy sound to it.”
A saw, a boot, a pipe—Silverman has surely succeeded in being one of the most original multi-instrumentalists and singer-songwriters out there. Yet, he also hopes that his sheer originality doesn’t put him in a box.
Silverman says, “People think I’m eccentric, so they find the most eccentric thing they can think of, and compare me to that, but fans who dig deeper can hear orchestral roots and rhythms from around the world.”
Mike Silverman will perform at the Old Rock House as "That 1 Guy" on Thursday, October 22 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets cost $15 and are available online. For more information, please call 314-588-0505 or visit oldrockhouse.com.
