origin

Those with a proclivity towards cynicism might say that Maywa Denki would be doing something quite different with his life if he had found a band when he was 16. But regardless of how he spent his youth, what he accomplished during his years at Tsukuba University and the time thereafter is, for one thing, pretty impressive, and, what’s more, fascinatingly humorous.

What actually happened was that he got into developing musical instruments that played themselves. He began pursuing his passion by converting traditional instruments such as guitars, which he modified in such a way that they could independently play melodies and rhythmic accompaniment. Then his journey of discovery took him further into realm of fantastically imaginative constructions—for example, the Guitar-La, a device in which six guitars are connected to a control element and can be played simultaneously by an organ. It’s not easy, but the results are optically spectacular.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hnx3P2V4pRQ

Another gem in his collection is Robo Brazil, a robot that can play percussion and looks like it didn’t have a very hearty breakfast.
If this has whetted your appetite to see more of his extraordinary playthings, then log on to his website http://www.maywadenki.com/english/00main_e_content.html.

At the Ars Electronica, Maywa Denki will present his Otamatone, an instrument, that can play 11 songs, all you need to do, is push the button in the right rhythm.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uN1cwXcaae4