Electroplankton creator unveils new project

Toshio Iwai, creator of the Nintendo DS game Electroplankton, has joined forces with Yamaha to create a unique piece of consumer electronics. Dubbed Tenori-On--literally "palmtop sound"--the device consists of a thick, rounded square filled with a 16x16 grid of LED switches. Press a switch, and it lights up while playing a sound. Hold down the switch, and the LED stays lighted and loops the sound.

According to the Tenori-On Web site, the interface is so intuitive that "even non-musicians can enjoy improvising and even composing immediately." The LED lights on the interface side are mirrored by an identical set of lights on the back of the unit, allowing spectators to see what the musician is seeing.

Although Tenori-On is still under development, according to Iwai's blog, the device is already complete enough for him to use in live events. Some of his other unusual "instruments" include multiple copies of Electroplankton running on DS Lites, and a gadget Iwai built himself called the Sound-Lens, which converts light into sound.

As Iwai writes, "rather than using existing instruments, I intertwine and modify sounds produced by these original machines to give texture to my live performances." He most recently performed at Futuresonic 2006, an electronic music and art festival held in Manchester, UK, from July 20-23.