Once upon a time . . .

Battlefield Band made an LP (on a French label) demonstrating the different sounds of three types of pipes . . Northumbrian, Uillean and (IIRC) Scots Highland . .

But yes, I like the idea of !pipes that don't sound like pipes . .

Of course the Iberian Peninsula has a number of additional pipe options, and the are found, in different forms, in most parts of Central Europe.

I THINK Uillean are the most sophisticated, possibly followed by the Northumbrian . .

G.