kyouei design: pendulum sound machine by kouichi okamoto

‘pendulum sound machine’ by kouichi okamoto all images courtesy of kyouei design

created as an instrument, ‘pendulum sound machine’ by japanese designer kouichi okamoto subverts a record player’s rotation to make noise with 16 plate-hitting pendulums. the brass-plated pendulums rest on original phonograph record with no grooves, and as the record turns, the pendulums move and hit the plates overhead. multiple machines can be used in tandem, creating different tones with plates of various sizes.

the ‘pendulum sound machine’ was a part of ‘yakitate’ (in japanese : freshly baked) designboom’s curated exhibition of 8 upcoming talents from japan at dwell on design in los angeles, june 24 – 26, 2011. kouichi okamoto preparing the ‘pendulum sound machine’ for the show image © designboom ‘yakitate’ is japanese for ‘freshly baked’, and this designboom curated cultural group exhibition featured the work of eight

upcoming talents working in the contemporary design scene in japan, exploring the role of tradition and innovation,

from functional design to sculpture through their work. close-up of ‘pendulum sound machine’ image © designboom in the diverse fields of animation, lighting design, architecture, textile design and craft, the young talents explore the role of tradition and innovation, from functional design to sculpture. for the duration of the show, the participating designers delivered 30 minute workshop performances, twice a day to visitors, giving them an up close look to their work and design process. large crowds gathered, offering a lively atmosphere. Q+A sessions in each of these workshops were translated for those designers who were less fluent in english language.

LA 18 tv channel is interviewing kouichi okamoto about the ‘pendulum sound machine’ image © designboom

besides the ‘pendulum sound machine’, kouichi okamoto has also shown the production process of his liquid bookmarks. the designer disperses a mixture of acrylic acid and urethane resin onto a plastic sheet of foil. after a drying process of about 3 hours, they are ready to use. each piece is a one-off, handmade by okamoto and comes in three colors: red, white and black – a fun way to keep your page marked when your nose isn’t buried in a book.

images © designboom

after the performance of the liquid bookmark making, visitors could take a sample home as a souvenir. we have good news for those who did not get one: they are available at the designboom shop!

image © designboom

yakitate installation view image © designboom