Japan Makes Vacuum Cleaners Play Harmonicas

Oh, Japan. Home of some of our most favorite, most bizarre trends (like this shampoo commercial featuring Carly Rae Jepsen and levitation). The latest hot thing to take over Twitter in Japan? Vacuum players playing harmonicas. Let’s look at some examples.

Now that’s a quality trend right there. I’m honestly amazed no one ever figured this out before this month. There isn’t exactly a lot you can do to control the pitch — it’s a vacuum cleaner, not Bob Dylan — so you get a nice, big “mother chord” every time you attempt this.

The real highlight of playing a harmonica with a vacuum cleaner is the vacuum cleaner’s ability to hold a note for as long as you leave it plugged in. It’s kind of like an EBow for the harmonica. I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw “vacuum harmonica” credited on the next Scott Walker album.

My question is, what’s next? Leaf-blower tuba? Bicycle pump flute? Whoopee cushion clarinet? Will we even need musicians five years from now, or will everything be done with infernal machines?

What do you think? Is the vacuum harmonica cool, or are we doomed to a future ruled by artificial intelligence? Let us know in the comments below or @WhatsTrending on Twitter!