Beyond Electroplankton: the Tenori-On

Toshio Iwai is a bit of a multimedia tinkerer. His work includes futuristic installations, Nintendo games musical experiences in Eletroplankton(that 7/10 of us enjoyed), and, most recently, a Yamaha-funded research project involving a grid of light which responds to the touch. The "Tenori-On" (rolls right off the tounge, doesn't it?) looks like the bastard child of a Lite-Brite and Backgammon: a matrix of white LCD buttons react to the musician's touch with chords channeled out of two integrated speakers. His dream? To canonize the Tenori-On as a musical instrument like the violin and piano. First thought that came to my mind: Brian Eno would totally hit that. More info after the genius: Here are some action shots: The project bears a striking (portable) resemblance to an earlier 2001 installation of his which he called a "Sound Lens," shown here in his blog. He writes that he had always dreamed of using it as an instrument, and that dream came true. In June the Sound Lens and Tenori-On were played at the SONAR music event and received a standing ovation. Granted, this is a bit of an optimized crowd for this sort of feat, but it's a fantastic nod towards adoption nonetheless. Its design is focused on usability - it's keys are met by two hands in a natural position and can be played by pushing buttons or strummed like a harp. While I don't feel that this futuristic contraption is bound for the console to bump Guitar Hero, it certainly does look like an intriguing in that "would be neat to own it, plus a Segway" kinda way. To learn more about it check out this PixelSurgeon Interview, Toshio Iwai's Tenori-On blog, and the official Tenori-On web site. I'm hoping it at least makes it as far as the underground 8-bit music scene so I can see this thing in action.