Granpa

Granpa Initially classed as a turntablist, Lucas Abela’s work has rarely resembled anything in the field. Most notably his early feats saw him stab vinyl records with Freddy Krueger-style stylus gloves, bounce on electro acoustic trampolines, drag race the pope across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, perform deaf defying duet duels with amplified samurai swords, building high powered turntables constructed from sewing machine motors.

Today these turntable roots have became almost unrecognisable, evolving into his infamous glass instrument, the shards being nothing more than a giant diamond tipped stylus you vibrate with your mouth. He has been perfecting the instrument since it’s invention in 2003, performing internationally under the name Justice Yeldham and lately as Granpa. After a long performance career his ideas have recently crossed over into sound installation with works that highlight his desire to create interactive installations for musical play, such as the Vinyl Rally (radio controlled cars raced on vinyl) and Pinball Pianola (a pinball macine/piano hybrid).