Peacocks are fantastic synchronised swimmers. Even more remarkable is their ability to sync their fine-feathered manoeuvres, while swimming in ponds that may be as far as 2000km apart. Humans have a few sync-tricks up their sleeve, even if they do involve thumb strain or mouse-hand rsi. And we do such wonderful things with technology. Just ask Aerial, a self described ‘plastic shaman’, and researcher about the use of latex & resonators (inflatables) – for enhancing meditation, yoga & spiritual development. That URL if you missed it? http://latexmindresearch.tripod.com

What first attracted you to latex as a child?
It was the way it felt and sounded. It were mainly latex balloons – their warm, smooth, elastic surface – partly also the static electricity of them and the way they droned when drumming with fingers on them.

What did you do with your “first red, rubber band” ?
I likely stretched it, felt it and played “guitar” on it, but balloons were much more interesting – the rubber bands in a kitchen table drawer were just the 1st elastic rubber objects I got in contact with in my early childhood.

What were your “strange, energizing childhood fantasies” about latex?
I often inflated plastic bags and tried to sit or lie upon them. I often tried to lie or sit on cylindrical balloons and was very annoyed when they didn’t survive. I also remember an experience with a pink, cylindrical balloon that smelled particularly awful and made my hands smell for 1 or 2 days,which I found quite eerie at that time. But mostly I sat just there, embraced a latex balloon and dreamed /sort-of meditated with it. A key experience in my life and my fascination for latex was also a TV show in that a bodybuilder inflated by mouth a hot water bottle until burst. I often thought about how big rubber gloves could inflate, and before sleeping I often visualized slowly inflating ones.

What does latex offer those in search of transcendental experience?
That’s a very complex topic. I am consciousness researcher and one of my main research topics is the resonator technology, based on the particular capability of inflatable latex objects to intensify and modify the perception of bodily vibrations to synchronize brain waves. This helps to learn and intensify meditation (a similar concept like bio-feedback; more explanations can be found on my site).

A goal of mine is to develop a device to make enlightenment available for everyone. What we yogi call enlightenment is a neuro- cybernetical process which leads to the activation of previously unused brain areas and though (besides others) enables human beings to gain a much more comprehensive, holistical understanding of the universe. Read also the page “The metaphysical secrets of latex” on my site.

What other materials have similar benefits?
None are directly comparable. Normal PE plastic bags also can function as resonators, but much worse. Most other rubber sorts seem to be toxic – I got e.g. a very bad silicone poisoning from pranayama experiments with a silicone swimcap – see “swimcap resonators” page in the pictures section.

How much latex do you have in your house?
I have multiple dozens of normal resonators (rubber glove and swimcap type etc.), about a dozen hot water bottles, 2 latex cushions and I have bought parts for building a physio-kundalinih resonance suit of latex, and I have also bought some latex sheeting to build trance equipment from.

How often a day do you touch latex, and how?
Sometimes I meditate with resonators in my bed, but mainly I meditate and experiment the entire sunday with latex resonators to stabilize the operating point of my nervous system. I am a sort of modern alchemist and do a lot of different stuff with latex. I mainly meditate by gently squeezing them against the body and concentrate myself to their vibrations. Often I pray for world peace during this. I sometimes also do elastAyama (inflating to the limit) with new resonators.

Can you elaborate on what you mean by “with certain interdimensional assistance I began to research the working principles of yoga and learned how to apply inflated membrane structures as resonators”?
I got spiritual visions by my enlightenment, where I was instructed to develop technologies to ease enlightenment for the mankind.

Describe what latex feels like to a person trapped inside a bubble all their life for medical purposes, unable to touch the outside world?
That’s a silly question. To me latex feels like absolute harmony – something like personified tenderness or a mystical essence of pure bioenergetic lifeforce and cosmic balance.

What latex dreams have you had?
As a child I e.g. sometimes dreamed/ fantasized about floating around on top of or inside a huge latex toy balloon, or about tiny rubber sofas those can safely inflate to giant size. But nowadays I rather dream about resonators or inflatable latex suits or strange latex diving suits etc.

Future latex plans?
I plan to build the Physio-Kundalinih Resonance suit. On my site I want to add more latex DIY tips – particularly about building such a PKR suit and also about latex alchemy things like non-toxic latex gluing or which unusual plants can be used to make latex rubber from – but currently I have no time for this.

Survey in a recent edition of Outdoor Lovemakers Journal showed that 42% of outdoor lovemakers felt ‘electric and alive, more connected to mystery’, 34% felt ‘foxier about bodies of water’, 18% had developed borderline insect-phobias, and 6 % believed they were now ‘more likely to connect with their partner during dreams’. Not sure if Torsten Lauschmann aka Slender Whiteman is a Journal subscriber, but most solar powered laptop buskers probably are. Find out at: www.slenderwhiteman.com

Describe the Slender Whiteman portable sound set-up?
One heart, one bass, 12 volts! Slender Whiteman travels with a portable micro dub soundsystem – laptop, keyboard, midi controller, amplifier, loudspeaker, battery and a solar panel. The soundsystem is a custom made unit which needs no extra power other than the sun and Jah.

Biggest challenge setting up a portable solar sound system?
It took a while to work out which parts will be powerful enough to make enough noise, are cheap and light. I tried to get the weight under 20 Kg so I could take it on a plane. Finding the right gold paint for the speakers was difficult too.

What sorta styles / ways do u play, and how do people react to a laptop busker?
An important part of the project was the attempt to bring music which the commercial media doesn’t play in public places. I think the mainstream media totally underestimates peoples tastes in music. So I find it sad that even the majority of (professional) buskers play only Beatles and Oasis. I performed my own tracks which are influenced by many genres like Dub, Glitch, Electro, Punk Rock, Bastard Pop and I also played recorded music by people which for me are total Pop Stars (this is meant as a compliment) like Pole, Hey O Hanson, Schlammpeitziger, Toots and the Maytals, Farben and Akufen…

In general people reacted very positive about the music and especially about the fact that it was solar powered. At times I had 2 people in front of me listening and, what is a common laptop problem, 20 people behind me watching what I was happening on the screen.

Where have your laptop busking adventures taken u lately?
The Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao (Spain), which was good. Unfortunately I didn’t realise that I was sitting next to an art work which consisted of 2 million water jets spitting water towards my laptop. I was invited to play in Belgrade, which’d be great for an Eastern European tour, but I don’t have the cash at the minute.

Strangest jam you’ve had in the urban wilds?
The best place was at the most western piece of rock in Europe. At Sunset, facing towards the American continent I played a version of “Take me home country road” by Toots and the Maytals. It sounds totally naff, but it was really moving and confirmed to me that there is no bad music but only wrong contexts.
(c4 yourself: )

Musical insights from a nomad wandering between cultures?
There are definitely communities in Europe where synth sounds haven’t reached, where people like Kraftwerk would be burned alongside witches. But in general people aren’t stupid, they just don’t have access to good music through most commercial Media. Surprisingly, lots of older people were totally fascinated by things like Pole, Kit Clayton, Burnt Friedman.

Rumour has it you’ve been turning up to gigs with an empty hard drive & remixing TV signals?
Slender Whiteman is one alter-ego I use for music projects. As Torsten Lauschmann (authentic name) I do Audio-visual gigs with custom made software. I just developed a Show called “Slackness vs. Culture” where I sample videoclips and sounds of live TV and try to turn crap into gold. One Problem is the reception in most places, so I probably have to get a portable satellite dish (12 volts of course).

What features would a Slender Whiteman action figure have?
It’d have three heads – Lee Scratch Perry’s, Noam Chomsky’s and Ronald McDonald’s. It’d be armed with a 12 volt soldering iron and Britney Spears CDs. One of his hands would constantly play with his nuts.

How have machines invaded your dreams?
Not really. I still dream of nice organic natural things, if you know what I mean.

3 hints for wannabe laptop buskers?
1. Don’t play in Paris.
2. Buy parcel tape to make your new shiny laptop look like you found it in the bin. This helps against theft and fetishisation of your gadget in general.
3. Remember that some traditional buskers play because they have no money or even a home. So show respect, as a privileged white(man) male with a 1500$ laptop.