Category — Interactive/ Technology

This is what happens when you motion-capture a pop girl group and release it on the internet as a free download. Perfume, if you don’t know them, are an all-girl trio that have gained popularity, in part, due to producer Yasutaka Nakata, who decided to take the group in a more electrohouse direction.

For their latest marketing campaign, Perfume has enlisted Daito Manabe (previously) to capture the dance motion data of the girls and release it for all to remix. The project has resulted in a number of unique dance routines you’ll never see anywhere else including multiple heads of Buddhist nun, writer and activist Jakucho Setouchi. The virtual Perfume model is similar in concept to that of Japanese pop star Hatsune Miku – a 3D hologram who performs at sold-out concerts.

Perhaps my favorite is this remix by visual designer ogaooooo. It’s pretty fun to watch.

source: Naoki Sakai

Two distinct styles come together in a new exhibition at the brand new café & art space Bridge near Asakusa, Tokyo.  Visual graphics designer Makoto Yabuki (previously) and painter Ohgushi (previously) will present Re:Particles, a digital interpretation of Ohgushi’s “Particles” series, in which he creates sensuous flowers by dripping ink on to wet canvases. The show will be on display through May 6, 2012.

Below is a video from the opening reception at Bridge. The video is more about the art space then the art being shown, but it still provides a few glimpses of the work that resulted from the collaboration.

If you’re not familiar with Ohgushi’s “Particle” series, which this work is based on, have a look at some of these stunning paintings. And be sure to watch the video at the end, which shows the painting process that Ohgushi uses. It’s really fascinating!

source: CBCNET | Ohgushi | Bridge

Turntable Rider is an amazing innovation that converts any bicycle into a mobile DJ booth. With a few twists and turns your bike wheels become jog wheels, your brakes become sound pads and this epic accessory has suddenly transformed your two-wheeler into a musical instrument. Check out the demo video below. And for a closer look at the functionality, check out the making-0f video. As glorified as they make it look, I would undoubtedly be scratching as I ride to the supermarket to pick up groceries.

parts included in the turntable rider

center fader box

transforms front & back wheels into jog wheels

transforms brakes into sound pads

 
Turntable Rider was developed by Cogoo, a Japanese company that operates an innovative bicycle sharing service in which the bicycles can be locked/unlocked using an app on your phone. It’s sort of like Zipcar except simpler, and with polar bear mascots.

The device is just a concept model but the company is saying that if they get 5900 facebook likes they would consider commercially developing it.

source: hitspaper | Cogoo

screenshots | click to enlarge

Tokyo Zoo Project is a website that has managed to transform the city of Tokyo into a zoo. How? By unleashing various cycling routes around the city that trace outlines of animals. There’s a panda that peruses Shibuya, a gorilla that goes to Haneda and even a zebra that zooms through my old neighborhood of Kichijoji.

The different animals were chosen based on requests they received on twitter. A team of cartographers then drew out animal-shaped routes on a map. But in all its topographic greatness, the project also has an interactive component, which of course involves a purchase. With Sony’s NAV-U personal navigation system (about 24,000 yen) you can try out all the routes yourself. You can even create new routes. The navigation system even logs cool stats like distance traveled and calories burned. But with a little creativity we can all try out these routes without making the purchase.

Tokyo Zoo Project is a nominee for a Webby Award this year in the “Best Visual Design-Function” category (which is how I discovered the project). It was created by ad agency Frontage – a joint-venture between Sony and Dentsu.

Japanese artist Kenichi Kanazawa visualizes sound by manipulating multicolored sand atop a steel tabletop. The study of visible sound is apparently known as cymatics and, in this case, is demonstrated by a rubber mallet that creates vibrations, moving the grains of sand to create beautiful and colorful patterns.

Originally a sculptor by trade, Kanazawa began working with steel and sound in 1987 after collaborating with the late sound artist Hiroshi Yoshimura. Today, his work primarily involves elements like sound, vibration and heat: making the invisible, visible.

source: thekidshouldseethis

He cast a spell, made a wonderful wish
I took a letter, and went looking for the end of a dream

So begins the lyrics of Planet Magic, a fantastically psychedelic journey and a track from the major debut album (of the same title) by N’Shukagawa Boys (N’夙川BOYS). The pronunciation of their name is fairly straightforward except for the “N” – the deeper and more nasal sound you produce, the better. The enigmatic trio hails from Hyogo prefecture, Japan and, contrary to what their name would have you believe, is comprised of 2 boys (Maya Love and Shinosuke Boys) and 1 girl (Linda Dada). With underage girl and boy idol groups dominating the charts in Japan (I have difficulty even calling them “music charts”), these Boys bring a refreshing sound to the stage of J-Pop. Speaking of stage, their performances are quite entertaining too, as the trio rotate instruments depending on the vibe of the show.

The strange power-pop trio formed in 2007, under the Tower of The Sun, as the story goes. Their sound (as well as their antics) is reminiscent of The Blue Hearts. But that’s understandable considering their producer is Masahide Sakuma, who worked with the mid-80s punk rock band. But N’Shukagawa Boys differentiate themselves by blending cuteness into their anarchic sound. Linda Dada, who also works a day-job as a model, proves to be as innocent-looking as she is unpredictable. I’m looking forward to hearing more from this band.

Below is another track for you to check out – Monogatari wa chito fuantei (This Story’s a Bit Unstable) from their 2010 album “Love Song.”

Call me a sucker for the sentimental but this is pretty great. In what is perhaps one of the best Honda commercials I’ve ever seen, a fleet of over 20 old vehicles make a comeback in 1 single camera pan. Titled “We’ll Never Lose,” the 60-second spot first aired on April 2nd.

Narration (translated by Spoon & Tamago):

If you try hard enough, your efforts will be rewarded.
If you wait long enough, your dreams will come true.
That’s an illusion.

Usually your efforts aren’t rewarded.
Usually the hero doesn’t win.
Usually your dreams don’t come true.

These are all everyday-realities of our world.

But, so what?
That’s where you start.

If you try something new, you’ll undoubtedly screw up.
You’ll get annoyed.
But that’s why – instead of sleeping and eating – you do it over and over again.

Now…it’s time to better than who you were yesterday.
It’s time to be better than what Honda was yesterday.

It’s an honest, hopeful message that extends beyond Honda, to all the hardships that have befallen Japan. Check out the making-of video below, which is also pretty great.

Source: Digimaga

Growing up in Japan, I remember spending a decent amount of allowance and socializing at the brightly lit neon arcades throughout Tokyo. That’s where, the now notorious, “Dance Dance Revolution” was first played and I was introduced to the ‘Purikura’ (short for Print Club) or the photo sticker booths that still remain ever so popular in Japan. Japanese arcades, or “game centers”, are nothing like the ones in the US. I guess if anything I have experienced came close it, it would be Dave & Buster’s Million Dollar Midway. In a culture that is famous for miniaturization of all-things-that-can-be-made-smaller, arcades in Japan seem to go bigger, brighter, louder and have the most diverse genre of games and machines.

100 Yen: The Japanese Arcade Experience is a documentary by Brad Crawford, on the history and evolution of game arcades in Japan. Interviewing and filming hundreds of arcade gamers and diving deep into the arcade culture. They created their website and released their brand-spanking-new trailer (above) in hopes to raise some capital for post-production and promotion of the film. To see more information and help the filmmakers, visit 100yenfilm.com.

Source: 100yenfilm.com | Facebook Page

Here’s a snazzy new dance routine that was created for a commercial advertising Docomo’s new Xperia smartphone. The carefully choreographed number features members of Japanese street dance troupe Wrecking Crew Orchestra decked out in LED suits. Have a look. It’s quite a mesmerizing show.

Above is the 60-second commercial and below is the 5-minute full dance routine which, to be honest, is way better.

source: io9 (HT @artspacetokyo)

ra·di·o·ac·tive/ˌrādēōˈaktiv/
Adjective:　Emitting or relating to the emission of ionizing radiation or particles.

We are all radioactive is a documentary film project organized by my friend and ASIJ senpai Lisa Katayama. The story is told – in the most literal sense – through the eyes of a group of surfers who live 100 miles north of Fukushima. After a visit with the surfers, Lisa and filmmaker Jason Wishnow left a bunch of waterproof cameras with them so about half of the footage is actually shot by the subjects themselves.

In a recent interview Lisa told The Atlantic:

We want to remind the world that a magnitude 9.0 earthquake isn’t just “breaking news” with big numbers of casualties. Beyond all that, there are these real human stories, the resilience of people who are living with this every day. That’s the story that we want to continue to tell, and continue to have people engage in.

Above is the trailer and below is episode 1, which was just released yesterday. They’re looking to fund the rest of their episodes so if you want to get involved check out their funding page.

source: @tokyomango | The Atlantic