NPR's All Songs Considered: New Mix: Pinegrove, Sudan Archives, Anna Meredith And 4 Mellotrons

Long before sampling (which came of age in the early '80s), there was the Mellotron in the '60s. It's a brilliant contraption, an instrument with a traditional-looking keyboard, but one that triggers tape loops. Those loops might be strings, or horns flutes and more. On this new album, Mellotron Variations, John Medeski, Pat Sansone, Jonathan Kirkscey & Robby Grant form a Mellotron quartet. This song,"Pulsar," from Mellotron Variations, is out now, with a film from the group's 2018 performance coming very soon.