Music

In a music world seemingly obsessed with pushing the envelope of technological innovation, it’s a rare find to stumble across musicians who go literally back to their roots to produce their sounds. No less innovative than the latest bleeps and sweeps of synthetic music however, the Vienna Vegetable Orchestra take a far different approach to the machines that make their music. Since 1998, the 11 musicians and their sound technician have been crafting music exclusively from vegetable instruments – carrot flutes, pepper trumpets, cuke-o-phon and radish marimba. Selecting their ‘tools’ before each gig in the local markets of the towns where they play, the musicians sculpt and shape each individual instrument before delivering renditions of the most diverse contemporary electronic music styles to amazed audiences worldwide. This synthesis of the digital and organic produces a remarkably unique soundscape, and after each performance the Orchestra’s cook prepares a vegetable soup which “enables the audience to enjoy the music in yet another sense”. Unfortunately, the Orchestra currently has no plans to visit Barcelona, but surely one look at the produce on offer in the Boqueria market and they may be tempted!