In the century since Leon Theremin invented his eponymous instrument – as a Lenin-approved symbol of Soviet technological ingenuity – the theremin has been paraded as the human face of electronic technology. From classical musician Clara Rockmore in the 1930s and psych rockers Lothar and the Hand People in the 1960s to the soundtracks of Miklós Rózsa and the jazz-infused solos of Pamelia Kurstin, the theremin is often used as an exotic novelty sound, placed alongside “proper” instruments.
