Test ToneTest Tone

Test Tone vol. 49

DIY Night!

An Arts and Crafts Movement for the New Millennium
Featuring: Lead Sister II, Scriptones, onnacodomo, Ningen Dog Orchestra, DJ Evil Penguin



Test Tone Homepage

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

Artist info:

Lead Sister II

Homemade instrumentalist!
While not exactly following in the footsteps of the original Lead Sister (aka Karen Carpenter), Lead Sister II (aka Joshua Hume) could very well hold the key to unlocking the next pop sensation. Using a collection of self-crafted musical instruments, Lead Sister II exorcises swampy rhythms, barrelhouse melodies, and the whirr and whizz of clocks arranged in a kalimba countdown. The performance could be likened to something part circus-tout delivery, part gospel preacher, and the sounds are thick indeed. This night, Lead Sister II will be bringing some rarified spring contraptions to the stage, while he echoes the remains of the muggy summer in a creaky carnivalesque romp. Come be the first to dance.

Scriptones

Disruptive circuit bending!
Stan Eberlein once again steps out of the loosely composed bounce of Legofriendly and into a slightly more improvised setting with Scriptones, his solo incarnation. Armed with an old Yamaha drum machine, a crappy effector, and some deftly chosen field recordings, Stan looks deep into the the world of interrupted sound, and sound as interruption. By attaching cables and using his hands in the open circuits of the electronics, he is able to throw improvised, yet seemingly random, elements of noise into our living spaces. One might imagine it's a little bit like walking around this big old city, but without the pressing engagements.

onnacodomo

Special live!
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.
On this special night, onnacodomo will be performing a rare live performance using their own original sound manipulations.

Ningen Dog Orchestra

Cheerleader puppies!
Everybody knows that if humans live with animals long enough, they eventually start to resemble each other. These anthropomorphic circuit-bent canines take it one step further. Not only do they creepily resemble their human counterparts, but they've been loaded with twisted electronics that have them flipping, barking, and chasing their transistor tails.
Conducted by super utako, 23N! & Yosei (two of whom make up modified-instrument noise -improv unit No Fork Droise), the noise should meld with the yip and the yap of this singular orchestra for an altogether different kind of petting zoo.

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.