louis philippe: weeeell I'm buggered if I know. probably something I'll hate. I wish it could be the trombone. the only instrument that changes its shape when you're playing it. and I'm not being rude.

sam quasi: computer, because it's easy.

corin sleater-kinney: the computer will dominate the next century because music people are usually nerds anyway, and want to explore a new toy.

claudia the magnetic fields: something they implant in your body, that uses vibration rather than amplification. for the first 20 years everyone will be obsessed with it and then the disastrous medical results will occur. people will develop a degenerative bone disease which will cause an generation of test-tube children (the norm by that point) to carry their parents around in bottles.

aggi pastel: the gong. it's versatile.

stephen pavement: sampler or drum machine.

douglas dark beloved cloud: the human voice, because it's easy and cheap enough that anyone can use it and so complicated that nobody's even come close to figuring out everything it's capable of.

christopher future bible heroes: synthesizers (or what is replacing their role...computers, plug-ins, and other virtual electro gizmos) because people will finally start to understand how to use them creatively in rock music.

mateo siesta: the new century will mean the apogee of maracas and castanets. believe or not! the latin circles of influence will extend further.

harvey williams: the clavioline.

chity moving pictures: well it is not exactly a musical instrument, but I think everybody will have computers to create and record songs. in a little place you can have a great orchestra and a recording studio.

nick "momus" currie: the brain. because it's about ideas.

liz clayton: so far it seems to be timbaland.

mike dropbeat/slumberland: the guitar, out of inertia

janet quasi/sleater-kinney: maybe it's finally time for the accordion to fall into the lap of mainstream musical popularity. why? it can just as easily make you cry as dance a polka.

graeme verlaines: computers and samplers for, as one writer put, they will free the composer from the absurd necessity of musicians. excuse me being offensive but that's the likely reality.

robert forster: it hasn't been invented yet. maybe one that's programmed by thought.

paul beer frame: that jew's harp revival has to take hold sooner or later.

amelia marine research: the melodica, because it sounds brilliant and was designed to be played by six-year-olds.

alan licht: the laptop, it's the harmonica of the next millennium.

rick brown: maracas (no Y2K problems).

tom international airport: the hurdy gurdy. swapping alternate centuries with the guitar.

scott desimon: the flugelhorn because its time is long overdue.

gavin o'hara: the lute, because what goes around comes around.

sarah dougher: personal, pocket-sized electronic devices that change the way your voice sounds. these will become important as the popularity of karaoke surges globally.

richard versus: the human voice will dominate the 21st century because I don't consider computers musical instruments.

emmanuel les inrockuptibles: the piano (natural sound or processed) : because it's the perfect tool to write simple and powerful melodies and because it leaves a lot of space for other instruments and arrangements (of any kind).

patrick yoyo: drums. all of our resources for energy will be used up, so people will need to re-learn how to communicate over long distances with drums.

ld flare: the caller ID box.

tim harriet: anything acoustic. we will all become unplugged.

tim keegan: the banjo, or maybe the sousaphone I don't know why.

sue garner: the drums, because they should.

rob marine research: the melodica, because there won't be any electricity.

jon high llamas: the computer -- it does already, this will continue, only moreso. also, banjos may return bigtime.

tim hopkins: the record company. because life's crap like that.

peter marine research: drums and percussion, I hope (real ones).

franklin bruno: ukulele! portable and democratic, perfect for post-Y2K techno-meltdown.

the millionaire combustible edison: technology is expanding like a malignancy... I don't think the musical instrument of the 21st century has been invented yet -- although I'd be willing to wager that it will involve bio-engineering somehow. I imagine organisms will be bred with their musical potential in mind.

richard davies: the guitar. the world moves so slowly on its axis.

sasha ui: sampler. already does dominate.

gerard cosloy: hopefully a whole pile of 'em will continue to exist in harmony (ha ha). this "dominate the next century" thing is a bit too vince mcmahon for me.

kendall mascott: the voice. it's free.

stuart mogwai: I am not sure, although i am certain it will incorporate strings.

jim o'rourke: the powerbook. because anyone can play it.

andrew beaujon: that plug-in for cubase that does remixes automatically.

elisabeth vincentelli: the komputor.

ian musical chairs: the sampler because its possibilities are limited only by one's imagination.

sean high llamas: the musical instrument for the next century could be the "digi onestop" penknife. it's being developed by the swiss right now and will hit the test stage by 2004. it carries all the usual penknife features: can opener; knife; corkscrew; scissors, but in addition the D.O.P will carry a basic sine wave facility, a set of rudimentary pulses and a sequencing package -- all operated with a touch-sensitive ballpoint laser.

tim dagger: the guitar because it will never go out of style. it's timeless.

gail cf: vibraphone. I'm going to be a vibesman someday.

evelyn hurley: drums, they're universal.

john electroscope: the L.I.F.E. instrument. it speaks of the infinite and looks cool on stage.

f.m. east river pipe: the instrument hasn't been invented yet.

greg castaway stones: the computer. the computer brings music, and the ability to make music, to everyone.

candice pedersen: the guitar because its sound is familiar and accessible to all musical genres.

katrina jeepster: the clarinet.

robert dennis: oh, I guess the palm pilot... nobody seems to be able to schedule a session without one. and after the next couple of revs they'll probably get it so it can sample and do sequencing.

dawn moxie: banjo, jew's harp -- it's the right time.

carrie sleater-kinney: the harmonica or some sort of electronic version of the harmonica will be the instrument of the next century. people will start wanting their musical instruments like their other technologies: compact. it will be used both in a retro, return to the blues, rootsy style and also in a modern sense, wherein it will have the capability to replicate the sounds of other, larger instruments. due to its versatile nature (ie. its ability to cater to techno-philes and neo-luddites alike), its popularity will soar.

jeff kickstand: the omnichord. etymology: latin, from omnis: all: universally omnichord -- its definition indicates to me that its inventor and manufacturer has its sights set on anyone who has the need to play a chord. hipster slang has already been overheard referring to this instrument of the people as the "all chord." when someone who plays a chord wants it all -- you better watch out. count the moments till world domination.

mac superchunk: the drums.

dan saturday people: what: the human brain. why: wetware.

delia/scarlet day of the family way and ms c.c. rider of action time: computers trying to replicate old sounds. cos people spend a fortune trying to sound like an instrument they can't play. (check out all that compy software tryin' to sound like hammond organs!! (and their version of a good fuzz guitar!! please!!) computers are cool but so's a shitty ol' guitar through some fucked-up ol' amp that makes a unique sound that you never get again.

mike caught in flux: one that hasn't been invented yet. who in 1900 could have predicted the electric guitar or synthesizer? CF