Test Tone

Test Tone vol. 42: Mardi Gras - A Lovely Carnival of Light and Sound on Fat Tuesday
Welcome to where the street parade ends, a celebration culminating in the 'Noisy Hole'. Gather around for a rhythm-drenched evening featuring imaginary flower-covered floats but real-life music, lights, dance and drink to keep you glowing throughout the night.
Featured artists: Samm Bennett + Hiroyuki (Kalimba), Coppe' with Zak Bond, Derek Short and Jemapur, Kindapingpong (Shantell Martin + Atusi Assiv), onnacodomo (visuals), Masaru Aikawa (Live and Installation: 'CDs')

Masaru Aikawa Exhibition: 'CDs' (Feb 10 to 25)

Test Tone Homepage

Cal Lyall and Yasufumi Suzuki Special Interview!! (JP only)

Artist Information:

Samm Bennett (Wave Drum) + Hiroyuki (Kalimba)

If you believe music to be a language, there would be people who seem to speak it with a rare fluency, like it was always their native tongue. Kalimba (African thumb-piano) virtuoso Hiroyuki and singer/songwriter/percussionist/drummer Samm Bennett are two of these special souls. With a perfect combination of fine musicianship and an inventive approach to their chosen instruments, both move effortlessly through a number of musical contexts. Hiroyuki can still be found busking in the streets of Shinjuku and Shibuya as well as collaborating with theatre, image and dance performance (including everything from contemporary dance to belly-dancing and tap-dancing). Samm hardly needs any introduction, as he has already made a name for himself worldwide as a founding member of Chunk , Semantics (with Elliott Sharp and Ned Rothenberg), Third Person (with Tom Cora), Skist (with Haruna Ito) and as a stellar musician in his own right. The two of them together will be a very rare treat, a must-see for any fan of truly fantastic music.

Samm Bennett (MySpace)
YouTube: Samm bennet X Kazutoki Umezu X Morgan fisher Session

HIROYUKI (HP)

Coppe' + Special Guests

For the songstress from Mars, a spaced out version of Fly Me to the Moon with Senor Coconut was the first stop on her way to Earth. At interplanetary arrivals she hooked up with the band and together they set out in a jazz-powered tour bus to spread the word around town. And the word is music. And the music is here. If you've seen Coppe' play Test Tone before, then it's time to see her again: her live band of double bass, drums and special guest Jemapur (Lakho / Phaseworks / W+K Tokyo Lab) will perform a set of relounged jazz standards for an unwound Tuesday. Recommended drink from the bar: martini.

Kindapingpong (Shantell Martin + Atusi Assiv)

Of course, anyone who has any interest in the visual arts in Tokyo will already have heard of illustrator, designer, VJ, artist and videographer Shantell Martin. With a number of multimedia collaborations to her credit, including the recent release of her visual mix/remix DVD 'Koobs' (from the innovative Lightrhythmvisuals label), who knew she had it up her sleeve to start a band as well? Certainly Shantell is no stranger to live band interaction, but this time she works directly with sound designer Atusi Assiv to create a spontaneous and free audiovisual fiesta, which is head-bobbingly addictive. Bring your lawnchair for this one!
Shantell Martin HP
Atusi Assiv (MySpace)

onnacodomo (visuals)

Taking their inspiration from moments and objects from everyday life, visual unit Onnacodomo make the ordinary decidedly extraordinary. Eschewing computer-generated graphics or recorded material, the three members (DJ Codomo, Yasuko Seki and Ruka Noguchi) perform in real time using a video camera to capture their spontaneous creations.
Shimmering projections are created using water, mirrors and an array of lights, while a world of fantastic images is constructed with found photos, kitchen utensils, toys, stationary and improvised artwork.
Kaleidoscopic, absurd and unreal, onnacodomo takes you into a slightly-unhinged world that is absolutely original in its conception.

Masaru Aikawa (Live and Installation: 'CDs')

As the entertainment industry falls into expensive legal battles over copyright infringement, we are faced with a number of questions about the nature of art. Should we really be making consumables for the masses? Are we packaging our own identity? Masaru Aikawa doesn't have any answers, but he does present a brilliant idea in his exhibition My 25 CDs. Taking the appearance of a run-of-the-mill listening post at your local record shop, his latest work offers something completely out of the ordinary.
Test Tone vol. 42 will mark the opening party of the Super Deluxe special installation, running from February 10 - 25. Come listen in.

About Test Tone....
Test Tone is a free monthly event that promotes varied and, we hope, interesting live music to a wider audience in Tokyo. We wanted to create an event that highlights the diversity of great music and visual art being made here and give more people an opportunity to see and hear it.

To make Test Tone as accessible as possible we wanted a central Tokyo space with a good sound system; a place where people would want to come and hang out, eat, drink and meet people. And listen to some live music that they may not otherwise get exposed to. As a further encouragement, we wanted to make the event free—not only for the audience, but for the performers too.

All this could easily have been an order too tall were it not for the exceptional people at Super Deluxe that made it all possible. Their enthusiasm for live music and visuals and faith in the event, allowing us complete creative freedom in booking artists, has allowed Test Tone to grow into something even broader in scope than we could have hoped for back in February 2005 when we proudly presented volume 1.

Our aim is to create a wider community. To further that, please get in touch if you are interested in playing, or want to be kept up to date with Test Tone events.

Finally, we'd like to say thanks to everyone that has been involved with Test Tone, especially all the artists that have made the events such a continuing success.

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Masaru Aikawa Exhibition: 'CDs' (Feb 10 to 25) at SuperDeluxe

Masaru Aikawa HP

About "CDs" from 2007 work in progress
Those CDs covers are duplicated in acrylic on canvas. Each CD cover is accompanied by handwritten lyrics and inserts, as well as an actual CD on which I have sung the songs myself and recorded them. I have passionately and respectfully duplicated the music a cappella.

Tips:
I can not play any instruments.
There are many copy bands, but I am the best.
I love music more than pictures and sculptures.
I like hearing legends about the musicians.
When I am creating my work, I can be the musicians whom I respect and love.
I sometimes think that I am cool when I sing song ardently.
To choose CDs from my favorites, was difficult but fun.
I think the jackets of Heavy Metal CDs are cool.
I like “Megadeth” more than “Metallica”.
The good jacket has good songs on the CD.
I hate “Greatest Hits”.
I never buy songs from the “iTunes Music Store”.
A lot of illegally copied CDs are sold on the streets of Asia.
I am a Japanese, and a Japanese are good at mimicry.
I think “iPods” are useful.
I love the works of Andy Warhol.
I sympathize with "D.I.Y" mind of the punk / hard core.
It is possible to listen to my song only in the exhibition.
The works of CDs are duplications, but nevertheless are myself, and also my original work of art.