A musical instrument created in Guelph, Ont., has been thrust onto the international stage — or rather, screen.
The instrument called Fron2 is featured heavily on the soundtrack for a Chinese art house film called Resurrection by acclaimed filmmaker Bi Gan.
The soundtrack was created by the French electronic rock group M83 after Joe Berry, one of its members, became captivated by the unique instrument.
Berry first laid eyes on the Fron2 after its creator, Guelph’s Fron Reilly, uploaded a YouTube video of himself playing the instrument. That video went viral and now has more than two million views.
The Fron2 is made up of strings held between two wheels that are a little over a metre apart. The instrument is played by placing it on a flat surface, like a table, and using a pedal to make the wheels spin. The sound it makes comes from dragging a bow across the strings.
Berry is one of dozens of admirers from around the world who have asked Reilly to make them a version of the unique acoustic instrument.
“When you hear something like the Fron2, [you’re just] like, ‘oh wow, all of that sound is coming from that instrument and it’s so cool that it’s spinning,'” Berry said.
“It’s just so mystical and miraculous.”
Berry was inspired by the various ways the Fron2 can be used to make sound.
“You and I could go up to the Fron2 and play the same note and we’ll hear the same note. But then as soon as you or I pick up the bow and then you start spinning, how I spin and hold the bow is different than how you spin and hold the bow. And how you spin and hold the bow is completely unique to you.”
Resurrection is a science fiction drama film about a world where most people have forgotten how to dream. Its world premiere was at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in May, where it won the Special Award or Prix Spécial. The film also took home the Artistic Contribution Award from the Busan International Film Festival.
It’s currently showing in select theatres and will be screening at Waterloo’s Princess Cinemas starting next month.
Reilly says he was very pleased when he first heard Berry’s interpretation of the instrument.
“I’ve complimented them greatly on it. I was very excited to see the movie and hear the soundtrack in the movie and how it was used,” he said.
“There are two main tracks that feature my instrument prominently and one of them is called Spinning Fury … [which] of course refers to my instrument.”
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Reilly says he enjoyed listening to the Fron2 on another track called Spectre as well.
“He plays it quite differently in there. He plays individual notes going back and forth and all over the place. That was very creative. And I was very pleased to hear that because it sounded different from anything I’ve heard on the instrument.”
Reilly says he’s excited to see his creation evolve in the hands of other artists across the globe.
“It’s very exciting. It’s what I intended for it all along. I wanted people to own it and do interesting things with it that I never would have thought of. And [Berry] has done that,” Reilly said.
“He’s one of the first, but certainly not the last.”
So far, Reilly has made several Fron2s for people around the world, from Africa and the United States to the Stratford Film Festival’s Goblin:Oedipus theatre production.
Reilly said he’s already thinking of what instrument he would like to create next.
“I do have a couple ideas in mind. I’m not going to discuss them, but yeah, stay tuned. We’ll see.”
