The Wonderful Whimsical Instruments of Maywa Denki

Music Technology
The Wonderful Whimsical Instruments of Maywa Denki

Tosa

Maywa Denki is a true delight: a unique group seemingly not of this world and who cannot be easily described. You can call them a “Nonsense Factory“—we have, and they do. If I were to conjure up an algorithm to approximate their well-played silliness, just roll together Devo, Talking Heads, OK Go, Blue Man Group, and throw in a dash of LEGO and Geppetto, and then send it through the topsy-turvy lens of Japanese culture, and the magic you get out the other end is this bizarre and brilliant group. They are musicians and artists and toy-makers and out-and-out inspiring bunch of nerd-idols.

Screen Shot 2015-07-16 at 6.05.27 PMAnd today we visit Maywa Denki for our Maker Camp Field Trip Friday! Enjoy the interview with their leader Tosa Novomichi. And then interact with them using our special time tunnel that travels across many lines of longitude. Maywa Denki lives in the future and over a language barrier, so we’ll collect your burning questions on the Maker Camp Community and then return with their sizzling answers in a few days. I can’t wait to read the interview our curious collective creates.

Ask Maywa Denki anything! To help you generate questions to match their quirky selves, we’ve collected a few videos for your to enjoy once you watch the Maker Camp Field Trip Friday to Maywa Denki, including a few that show off their latest toy instrument invention, the adorable Otamatone.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And once you have gotten your fill of their serious fun, make sure you submit a music video to our Maker Camp Battle of the Bands before 8pm tonight by posting it on the Maker Camp Community.

 

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Maywa Denki’s KnockMan Family toys make music mechanically!

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Michelle, or Binka, makes . While at Maker Media, she oversaw publications, outreach, and programming for kids, families, and schools. Before joining Maker Media in 2007, she worked at the Exploratorium, in Mitchel Resnick’s Lifelong Kindergarten group at the MIT Media Lab, and as a curriculum designer for various publishers and educational researchers. When she’s not supporting future makers, including her two young sons, Binka does some making of her own, most often as a visual artist.

View more articles by Michelle "Binka" Hlubinka
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