Working with Circuit bending and Music Concret led him to work at the BBC radio lab. After working at the lab Dagg developed a disinterest in digital music making and found a renewed interest in acoustic instruments and the ways that interacting in a physical space with these objects effected the listening experience. He decided to focus his research into the acoustic value of each new instrument as he wanted to work with sounds that had not been heard before.

He has stated direct inspiration from EMI magazine as well as the instruments of Harry Partch. He is close friends with Bob Gilmore who chronicled the life of Harry Partch and numerous other experimental musicians.

The first one was built at Dagg's studio, incorporated into the railing of the front gate. This instrument was used to test out the new musical concepts that Dagg was working on. The instrument was given a unique score written with nuts and bolts and had a premier performance by percussionist Evelyn Glennie. Another set of Gates were commissioned by Brian Pain for Rochester Independent College.

Musical Gate at Rochester Independent College

This is a replica of a Harry Patch instrument built by Henry Dagg using an arts council grant and the assistance of Trevor Mason.

Across 5 years the Shaprsichord was made to allow any person to be able to program a pin-barrel activated harp to play music that they want. The instrument is made of stainless steel and designed to be able to function in nearly any environmental conditions, allowing it to be installed in various location outdoors and indoors. The instrument was commissioned by Trevor Mason for the garden of the Cecil Sharp House - English Folk Dance and Song Society and eventually the instrument was bought back by Henry Dagg with the financial assistance of Tony Banks and Brian Pain. The instrument went on tour and was recorded by the musical artist Bjork which involved converting the instrument to allow for live play during her shows, resulting in the final form of the instrument. The instrument has a strong resemblance to the, later built, marble machine by Martin Molin for the group Wintergaten.

A complex percussion instrument that requires 30 people and a cyclist to perform on

2 Parts Hurdygurdy
1 part phonofiddle
1 part scooter
The front wheel of the scooter drives the rosined wheel of the hurdygurdy allowing for the instrument to only make sound while the scooter is being driven around.

A cat organ made from a set of cat plush toys with tuned squeaker toy inserts.