Playing the House

Buildings aren’t supposed to produce sounds, are they? David Byrne begs to differ

Surely if a building makes a sound, it’s either a sign of something going wrong, or in the case of the Roundhouse, it is being used as a musical instrument.

David Byrne, lead Talking Head and one of the most courageously eccentric figures of the post-punk movement has seen it all. He helped the Talking Heads sneak in their musical agenda onto the pop radar in a convincing, Trojan horse of a musical format – a loose-limbed blend of post-punk, afrobeat and new wave.

And whilst the Talking Heads stood for a tasteful balance of eccentricity and experimentation, David Byrne consistently sought out other creative outlets to nurture some of the most more game-changing sounds of the 1980’s along with Brian Eno and Robert Fripp.

Even though the Talking Heads disbanded in the early 1990’s Mr. Byrne has sustained a powerful presence, with a repertoire spanning across music, performance art and installation.

Having debuted at the Battery Maritime Building in 2008, this interactive music installation uses all sorts of implements to give voice to pipes, garters, window sills and anything else that can be manipulated to produce a sound. The entire concoction is controlled via a central Victorian organ, producing what The Man himself describes as “Victorian steam-punk.” We are sold.