MELLODRAMA: THE MELLOTRON MOVIE

MELLODRAMA: THE MELLOTRON MOVIE
US 2009
DIRECTOR: DIANA DILWORTH
MELLODRAMA explores the rising and falling fortunes of the Mellotron—the first musical keyboard to "sample" (playing pre-recorded strips of magnetic tape) the sounds of other instruments—from its birth in a California garage in the 1950s, through its dominance on concert stages in the 1970s, to its almost religious cult of followers in the 2000s. From The Beatles' "Strawberry Fields Forever" to Black Sabbath, Kanye West, and Radiohead, MELLODRAMA chronicles a 50-year odyssey of musical invention, revolution, betrayal, and rediscovery. With appreciations from Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys), Mike Pinder (Moody Blues), Rod Argent (The Zombies), Ian McDonald (King Crimson), and many more.
(75 mins.)