Pat Metheny begins his four-month tour of Europe and the United States this weekend with two performances at Coutances Theater in northern France. Saturday's opener will be the first time Metheny reveals the instruments and magic behind his latest Nonesuch release, Orchestrion.

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"Orchestrion sounds really interesting on CD," says Wired's Eliot Van Buskirk, "sort of like a jazz gamelan with an extraterrestrial twist. Robotic musicians can handle tasks that humans cannot, opening new compositional possibilities. And yet the robots also sound somewhat human, because a human—Metheny—programmed each note they play."

Metheny spoke with Wired as he was preparing to take the instruments on tour. You can read about the ins and outs of his one-man-band and the many inventors who created it at wired.com.

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In the UK, where the tour heads for a performance at London's Barbican Hall February 10, The Independent's Andy Gill, in his album review, makes note of Orchestrion's title track, "whose dizzying unison passages and tricky counterpoints recall player-piano genius Conlon Nancarrow, along with elements of John Adams and Frank Zappa in his synclavier period." Read the complete review at independent.co.uk.

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San Antonio Express-News reviewer Jim Kiest says Orchestrion's "five unhurried, watercolor-hued songs, never sound mechanical. Just the opposite. Metheny creates almost pastoral music with his fleet, delicate guitar, piano, synth and vibes." Read more at mysanantonio.com.

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For the complete Orchestrion tour schedule, visit nonesuch.com/on-tour.