The Junkman has completed ā€œCubert,ā€ a 17-voice, automated ā€œroboticā€ percussion instrument utilizing 17 individual reused materials made from plastic, wood, metal, and glass. Each voice is activated by a small mallet head coming into contact with an object via a solenoid or a motor. The voices are activated by a MIDI interface that is open and fully programmable.

ā€œCubertā€ was conceived and designed by The Junkman and realized at the Bristol Robotics Laboratory (BRL) by Nathan Churchill, senior engineer, and instrument designer, Liam Lacey. It was a SABRE Technical Development Project funded by a generous grant from the European Union Regional Development Fund.Ā 

ā€œCubertā€ will provide the sole instrumental accompaniment for Thor in The Junkmanā€˜s upcoming opera Odin, then and now. The Junkman will also utilize ā€œCubertā€ in many of his solo concerts.

The Junkman with Nathan Churchill