Morin khuur

Heard a surprise performance from a couple over Christmas. They were playing a variety of instruments, including a morin khuur -- which is a two-string violin from Mongolia.

There were some really unusual sounds in the performance and the morin khurr added something like a higher-pitched didgeridoo that was a bit like the noise of a swarm of flies too. The accompaniment included singing, South American whistles (including ocarina) and Tibetan singing bowls.

The drone of the singing bowl led me to experience drones in a new way. I'd closed my eyes and noticed how the constant note resonating disguised the natural reverb sounds of the room. The drone created a kind of acoustic illusion, where the reverberant sound gave the impression of both all-space and no-space at the same time.