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File this under W, for "way cooler than Sea-Monkeys." Japanese electronics scholar Satoko Moroi has created what amounts to a real life version of Electroplankton. After spending hands-on time with her art installation, Sound Flakes, in which colorful light projections bounce off one another to create music, I was instantly reminded of the wonderful memories I created with Toshio Iwai's DS sleeper hit.
Sound Flakes functions in essentially the same way as Electroplankton. You use a motion sensor ladle to swirl colorful protozoa around a pool of water. As the creatures bounce into each other, they emit distinct musical tones based on their color. If you scoop up a single specific animal, it begins to dance, and a sound loop pattern begins. The fun comes from the constant state of flux the music moves through. By turning on the faucets that encircle the pool, you can pour out new light molecules to play with. When you scoop up multiple sound flakes at once, it adds layered textures to your song. The flakes also seem to react to each other in different ways as they collide.
Within a few minutes of play time, I had already created hundreds of moments of instantaneous and fleeting art.
The similarities between the two games are no coincidence. Both Satoko Moroi and Toshio Iwai attended the same program at Tsukuba University's Institute of Art and Design, which undoubtedly shaped their artistic styles in a similar mold. Satoko and Toshio even presented their respective projects together at the Tokyo Digital Arts Festival in 2005.
Just in case I didn't do a good job of conveying the sense of wondrous joy tapped into by Sound Flakes, I'll let Satoko explain it to you in her own words from the pamphlet she gave me:
"In order to enjoy this installation, there are no special rules. However, when attendees look at colorful faucets and ladle, they come to want to twist faucets and scoop something. It is freedom how to enjoy the environment. I try to make a new media for SMILE and communication, as a environment that we can share.
This installation works as a bland-new educational system. However, for adults it is also the proposal of spending the relaxed inefficient time. I hope that many people become a smiling face like the childhood thorough this exhibition. Each my installation art piece is the 'Play' itself for children.
The feeling of touching them in the water is like a magic!"
While I understand the sentiment, I don't know which part of that last sentence to correct first. Even if Satoko doesn't think we need any special rules to enjoy her exhibit, I have one I'd like to institute: Make sure you don't lip the children's stockings. You can play Sound Flakes at Wired's NextFest in Los Angeles over the rest of this weekend.
Electro plankton was a very cool game. I used to get baked and make all kinds of cool tunes. Also, on more than one occasion, I put it on audience mode with headphones in a fell asleep to it. Quite soothing.
Electroplankton would still be in my library if you could save and loop creations. The game was a masterpiece of visuals and sound on a handheld, but making your creations over and over again to show friends was frustrating.
Electro Lemon de-evolves into thousands of scattered electroplankton when the Admins bring down the ban hammer. That's how he's still able to communicate with us. There's too many to catch!
Electroplankton is such an unsung little gem on the DS... it still amazes me to this day that more people don't know about it. I showed it to a friend the other night and he was hypnotized by it for nearly an hour.
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I demand videos
yay colors!
Electro plankton was a very cool game. I used to get baked and make all kinds of cool tunes. Also, on more than one occasion, I put it on audience mode with headphones in a fell asleep to it. Quite soothing.
Electroplankton would still be in my library if you could save and loop creations. The game was a masterpiece of visuals and sound on a handheld, but making your creations over and over again to show friends was frustrating.
Does Electroplankton evolve into Electro Lemon?
Electro Lemon de-evolves into thousands of scattered electroplankton when the Admins bring down the ban hammer. That's how he's still able to communicate with us. There's too many to catch!
But... I have to catch 'em all! The show told me so!
I saw this at Siggraph 2004. It is beautiful in motion.
Ohhh...must see the videoooo. Tres cool.
On a side note, wasn't Satoko the killer child in Ringu?
Rrrring
Pardon me now I have to answer the phone.
I got to play with this for a while at last years NextFest but some kid kept jackin' my spot!
I assume you still can't save anything.
I assume you still can't save anything.
Electroplankton is such an unsung little gem on the DS... it still amazes me to this day that more people don't know about it. I showed it to a friend the other night and he was hypnotized by it for nearly an hour.
i wonder if that'll ever be up for sale cuz i'd sure as hell would buy one
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