Oh and about the paranormal experience of flickering tubelights (which none of you asked about!) we found out the reason on the very first day we moved in. It is static electricity (due to the potential between our footwear and the things that we touch). We were getting shocks, even visible sparks when we touched everythings, locks, doors, windows or switches. So did the tubelights (we had footwear on) But still the eerie microwave mystery is still to be solved!

Anyway this is a ‘Rain Splatter’ post after a loooong time. I had read A.R.Rahman talking about using this new instrument called ‘Continuum Fingerboard’ in his latest movie ‘Delhi – 6′. I was wondering what song it was. It is ‘Rehna Tu’. Composed (Of course!) and sung by Rahman himself, he introduces you to the instrument in the last two minutes of the quite interesting song. Those last two minutes steal the show. Absolute bliss! (If you are in a hurry skip to exactly the last two minutes!!)

Have you heard it? No? Do hear it. Really interesting. Well what is so interesting about this continuum nonsense you might ask? Well it is definitely a wonderful idea (Thanks to an Electrical Engineering professor!) A piano/keyboard has keys for notes, something like a discrete function. You can jump from one note to another in discrete steps. Contrary to that the continuum fingerboard is just a membrane like thing with no keys. You can just slide your fingers over it to travel over notes. Hmm.. interesting! That makes it useful in reproducing so much of stuff. For example the intricacies in Indian classical music (the very purpose for which Rahman uses it in the song).  Play it like you sing!

Well the instrument itself is not really an instrument, you need to connect it to a synthesizer. It figures out finger movements in x,y and z direction to control pitch, volume and stuff like that. Guess we will get to hear more of it in the future!

This is another place where he has used it! Interesting again!