big in japan

music-wise, japan is both the beginning and the end. styles go there to die, be reincarnated, and relished by millions of people living an incessantly adolescent life. yet still japan produces some of the best new ideas, music, and culture that have so obviously permeated the entire world. this is a country that has produced merzbow, boris, and now, one of the coolest musical toys i've ever seen: the tenori-on.

created a few years ago by a japanese artist, the tenori-on is basically a screen of LED switches that can be activiated in various ways to "create an actively evolving musical soundscape". music, visualized through blinking lights. it is beautiful, it is powerful, and it is just a hint of what technology can offer music to come in the future. holding one of these must be magical. it's versatile enough that it can be used to do most anything, from inspiring electronic and experimental musicians, to bringing old tunes (i use the term liberally, as this song dropped the bomb everywhere only earlier this year), to new life.

i bring you the oh so beautiful and talented little boots, a female singer from england, doing a cover of "ready for the floor" by hot chip. on the tenori-on.



interesting tidbit: little boots's song "stuck on repeat" (which i previously posted a remix of) was produced by joe goddard of hot chip.