"Everyone knows about it, from the Queen of England to the hounds of hell"

Using real footage and sounds from a working science lab, the Inside Knowledge team have reconstructed the White Stripes song Seven Nation Army from scratch.

We spent an afternoon recording members of the lab as they performed repeated blast tests. The work would seem familiar to any musician – tuning instruments, setting up recording devices and repeating the same actions to get the desired result.While it may seem lighthearted, there’s a strong message behind the video. The finished product of a scientific investigation, like a song, is inevitably the result of days of practice, experimentation and collaboration. A scientist might have an idea of what they want their investigation to sound like, but the process of science will throw up challenges, test creativity and occasionally uncover entirely new melodies.

Instruments used:

Bass Guitar: Main sensor output cable

Bass Drum: Blast Rig

Toms: Hammer & Storm Case

Hi-Hat: Oil Spray

Cymbal: Blast Plate

'Vocals': Laces to contain dummy leg during blast

'Guitar': Accelerometer cable & Fastening Strings