The Mellotron Group

A nice article about the M4000 and then a referral to watch a movie  that 
hardly mentions Streetly (if at all)and is mostly about  Chamberlins.
 
 
 
_New Mellotron M4000 Finds Home  With Chicago Psych Rocker_ 
(http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2010/09/18/mellotron-m4000/) 
18Sep10

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Mellotrons have a checkered history. They’re known for their  unique sound 
and place in electronic music, but they’re also known for their  limitations 
and temperamentality. 
But, while the sound of the Mellotron has been captured in samples and  
software, there’s still something about a real tape-based Mellotron that 
appeals  to a lot of musicians. 
And, for some keyboardists,  it’s hard for them to imagine playing their  
music without a Mellotron. 
Chicago-based psychedelic rocker Jim Licka, right, recently  added a new 
_Mellotron  M4000_ 
(http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/09/18/streetly-electronics-introduces-a-new-mellotron/) , from _Streetly Electronics_ 
(http://www.mellotronics.com/) ,  to his arsenal. Licka leads a 
psychedelic/ambient/rock band _Umbra and the Volcan Siege_ (http://www.myspace.com/umbrachicago) 
. 
Why a new Mellotron? 
“I think the Mellotron is the most dynamic and influential instrument  
invented,” says Licka.”I love it every time I play it and hear it.” 
The Mellotron M4000 is the newest in a the Mellotron family of  
electro-mechanical, polyphonic sample-playback keyboards. Psychedelic and  progressive 
rock bands used the Mellotron extensively in the ’60s and ’70s and  the 
instrument features on album like George Harrison’s Wonderwall  Music, King 
Crimson’s In the Court of the Crimson King  and Architecture & Morality by 
Orchestral Maneuvers in the  Dark. 
More recently, the Mellotron has seen a resurgence of interest, especially  
with prog and metal groups. 
“It sends me to a place that’s special and sacred,” adds Licka. “It makes 
me  feel alive and I feel lucky to own one. I think that keeps me coming 
back  for more and more and it’s the most amazing sound ever.” 
Licka, who also plays guitar and Moog synthesizer with Umbra and the Volcan 
 Siege, ordered his Mellotron M4000 in 2007, after visiting Streetly’s  
Staffordshire, England, headquarters and testing a prototype. An older model  
Mellotron is featured on the most recent Umbra and the Volcan Siege EP, 2009’
s  The Beginning of the End. 
If you’re interested in learning more about the Mellotron, a great place to 
 start is Dianna Dilworth’s excellent _Mellotron  documentary Mellodrama_ 
(http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2009/02/12/mellodrama-mellotronchamberlin-d
ocumentary-trailer/) .