You might recognise it from its iconic appearance in Punch-Drunk Love: the harmonium. This small free-reed organ was patented in 1842 by the frenchman Alexandre Debain. Being smaller and less expensive than traditional pipe organs, it quickly became popular throughout Europe, India, Africa, and the southern United States. Even today, if you travel through the north of the UK, you’ll find harmoniums tucked away in the corners of most recording studios. And they’re not just set dressing; the harmonium captured the hearts artists such as the Beatles, Tori Amos, Penguin Cafe Orchestra, and Supertramp, all of whom featured it in their music.
The harmonium generates sound by pumping air past a thin piece of metal in a frame and making it vibrate. These vibrations then resonate through the instrument’s wooden body, thus producing the distinctive, church-y sound. We have captured and produced this sound and made it into a vault so you, too, can experience the magic.
TO DOWNLOAD THE VAULTS HARMONIUM GO HERE