The Tenori-on is here!

Tenori-on is an electronic musical instrument, designed and created by Japanese artist, Toshio Iwai and Yu Nishibori of the Music and Human Interface Group, Yamaha Center for Advanced Sound Technology. It consists of a screen, held in the hands, of a sixteen by sixteen grid of LED switches, any of which can be activated in a number of ways to create an evolving musical soundscape. The LED switches are held within a magnesium frame, which has two built-in speakers located on the top of frame, as well as a dial and buttons that control the type of sound and beats per minute produced. There is also an LCD screen on the bottom edge of the frame. Using the connection function, it is possible to play a synchronized session, or to send and receive songs between two of the devices.

Tenori-on was demonstrated at SIGGRAPH 2005 held in Los Angeles, CA in August, 2005 ^[1]. A detailed discussion of the design of the Tenori-on is given in a paper presented at NIME 2006 conference held at IRCAM, Centre Pompidou in Paris, France in June, 2006 ^[2].

Toshio Iwai has been using the Tenori-on in live performances (such as at Sónar in Barcelona, in June 2006, and Futuresonic in Manchester, in July 2006, the Futuresonic 2006 live show had some good feedback from the audience and that was one of the most important triggers to make it a real product). The instrument was launched in London on September 4th, 2007 for a suggested retail price of $1,200 (£599).^[3] To promote this launch, three prominent electronic and experimental musicians — Jim O’Rourke, Atom Heart, and Robert Lippok — were invited to compose “demo” tracks utilizing the device. These tracks have since been released as promotional MP3s from the Tenori-on website.

Iwai’s intention in creating the Tenori-on is to create an electronic instrument of beauty. In his own words:

“In days gone by, a musical instrument had to have a beauty, of shape as well as of sound, and had to fit the player almost organically. [...] Modern electronic instruments don’t have this inevitable relationship between the shape, the sound, and the player. What I have done is to try to bring back these [...] elements and build them in to a true musical instrument for the digital age.”

The instrument builds on Iwai’s previous work, such as his Electroplankton software for the Nintendo DS in the blending of light and sound, as well as the aesthetic elements of the interface.

A World Tour introducing Tenori-on began in Frankfurt, Germany, on March 12th, and finished in Tokyo on 25th April 2008. Artists on the tour included Jim O’Rourke, Atom Heart, To Rococo Rot, Pole, Robert Lippok, Sutekh, I Am Robot and Proud and Nathan Michel.

Peter Gabriel has one in his studio. Bjork takes hers on tour. But what exactly is it? Tim Walker gets to grips with the radical new instrument that’s part digital sampler, part light-show – and part toy

Blip. Blip. Blip. Blip-donk-blip. Blip. Blip. Blip-donk-blip-tshk-blip. Blip. Wraaa- AAAOOoow. Blip. This is the noise of a novice trying to make something resembling music from the world’s newest musical instrument, the Tenori-On. And, by the way, it sounds a whole lot better than it reads. Designed by Japanese media artist Toshio Iwai and built by Yamaha, the Tenori-On is a remarkable piece of kit that has already made its way into the excited, sweaty palms of musical pioneers such as Peter Gabriel and Bjork.

It was only launched in September, yet an LA-based audio-conceptualist, Norman Fairbanks, has already recorded an entire album using only a Tenori-On. In London, meanwhile, a pair of Japanese girls calling themselves the Tenorions perform using two of the instruments in sync – one has her’s programmed to make drum noises and percussion, while the other covers guitars and bass. You can watch the Tenorions’ live sessions on their YouTube channel.

“Tenori-On” translates as “sound on your palm”, and that just about sums up the machine. A hand-held silver tablet framing a square grid of 16×16 flashing LED buttons, the Tenori-On is double-sided: both faces look identical, but one is played by the performer, while the other provides a miniature light show for the audience – providing a visual rendering of every sound that has to be seen to be truly appreciated