If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives)

Yamaha's TENORI-ON : Digital Music For Several Senses.

Above: designer of the Tenori-On, Toshio Iwai

Media artist Toshio Iwai and Yamaha collaborated to design a new digital musical instrument for the 21st century, TENORI-ON. A 16x16 matrix of LED switches allows everyone to play music intuitively, creating a "visible music" interface.

The TENORI-ON provides six different performance and sound/light modes for broad performance versatility, and these modes can be combined and used simultaneously for rich, complex musical expression.

For DJs & producers it is a unique performance tool enabling them to perform using MIDI and load the TENORI-ON with samples to 'jam / improvise' within their set BPMs.

By holding one of the ten function buttons located on either side of the TENORI-ON and operating the LED buttons you can change voices, change octaves, and apply a variety of effects and variations to your performance.

This unique visual/tactile interface has been specifically designed to allow intuitive, instantaneous operation of a variety of functions.

TENORI-ON “Modes”
The TENORI-ON 16 x 16 LED button matrix is simultaneously a performance input controller and display. By operating and interacting with the LED buttons and the light they produce you gain access to the TENORI-ON's numerous performance capabilities.

The TENORI-ON provides six different performance and sound/light modes for broad performance versatility, and these modes can be combined and used simultaneously for rich, complex musical expression.

Above: Creating light and sound with a finger

Layers
TENORI-ON layers can be thought of as “performance parts” or “recording tracks.” The TENORI-ON has a total of 16 layers. Separate notes and voices can be assigned to each layer, and all layers can be played together in synchronization.

The 16 layers are divided into six performance mode groups. The six modes have different note entry methods and operation. Up to 16 layers created using different modes can be combined for rich, complex musical expression.

Above: hardware details

Blocks
Once complete set of 16 layers is called a “block.”
The TENORI-ON can store up to 16 programmed blocks (16-layer groups) in memory, and you can switch from block to block instantly during performance.

You could, for example, create a musical composition in one block, then copy that composition to another block and edit it to create a variation of the original composition. Or you can load a number of previously-created compositions into separate blocks from an SD Memory Card and switch between them to create variation during playback.

Above: collaborate and share or send music

Click images to enlarge:

To see all the technical specs go here.

It's available for purchase now. Price? Not quite music to your ears at $1,200.00 USD.
Buy it here.

Guido Daniele's Hand Painting Used To Sell AT&T's Roaming Capabilities

Most of us 'creative types' and net surfers have seen Milan-based artist Guido Daniele's amazing hand painting before, but its latest incarnation is in a new AT&T International Roaming ad campaign by BBDO Atlanta, shot by Toronto based photographer Andric (who happens to speak Italian so he could converse easily with Daniele). The animals and imagery painted on the hands are to symbolize the countries in which you have 'roaming' capabilities with AT&T.

Critics say that hot fashion designer Giles Deacon's latest collection for Spring/Summer 2009 is fairly conservative for him and not as wacky or irreverent as his past fashion excursions. With more traditional silhouettes (there were exceptions), fabulous graphic colored camouflage patterns and trim, as well as streamlined solid colored double knit jersey dresses, he may actually be turning somewhat... dare I say it... wearable.

However, the styling and production of his Spring Summer 2009 runway show, the floor of which was painted with the familiar graphic imagery of the 80's video game pac man, was anything but conservative. In an homage to Midway's Pac Man video game, every few models to strut down the runway wore large metal headgear which emulated the pac man characters (with a little creative liberty, of course).

Above: The 1980 original pac man video game characters and interface

Wocka wock wocka.......

Fabulous runway photos by Marco Madiera

Other noteworthy pieces in Giles Deacon's new collection, sans pac man accoutrements, included modern, splashy interpretations of military camo:

Some facts about the Designer:
• Giles Deacon has designed for Jean Charles De Castelbajac, Louis Vuitton and Ralph Lauren
• His design studio is the Rochelle School in East London where Katie Hillier, Luella Bartley, Hazel Robinson and his other fashion friends work
• In 2007 he was named British Designer of the Year
• He used to date Beth Orton
• He's a brilliant illustrator - having been published in Interview, The Face, Pop, i-D.

He also designed a collection (above), Gold, for New Look with Drew Barrymore in the ad campaigns (the pair decided to work together after a chance meeting in an elevator), and he also designed womenswear for DAKS for two seasons ending in autumn/winter 2008-9.