dorkbot Tokyo Taking Off

dorkbot Tokyo #000002 will take place at Machida International Print Art Museum in Tokyo on the 2nd of October. This time, the event’s theme is “bend++,” that is to “bend” various electronic artifacts and turn them into something.

The first dorkbot in Tokyo (#000001) took place on the 12th of May this year (general summary in English). A couple of presentations I can’t help talking about: the music/noise performance by Atsuhiro Ito and the demonstrations by “Tocho Denki Daigaku/Onshitsu Kojo Iinkai.”

Ito played a fluorescent light tube. The noice produced by a lit fluorescent light tube is amplified to produce explosive feedback noise of low frequency flickering.

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[Ito playing a fluorescent light tube at dorkbot Tokyo #000001]

“Tocho Denki Daigaku/Onshitsu Kojo Iinkai (Electro-Eavesdropping University/Sound Quality Improvement Committee)” is a unit of two journalists from the magazine called Radio Life. Radio Life is a magazine that discusses hacking techniques that are likely frowned upon by the general public. Their feature articles goes like: “It’s OK not to pay NHK subscription fee!,” “How to record satellite TV porn using PCs,” “All about Yahoo Auction Scams’ Techniques,” “How to listen to Military Air Band,” “Police’s Wireless Communication & Hacking: The 25 years.” Anyway, the unit presented things like “a sex doll that moves”, “powering things with $1,000 worth batteries”, and “a DJ performance using a human body as an electric switch” (see the photo below.)

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[Human body transfers music. Users experience rhythmical electric shock while serving as part of the electric circuit. ]

related websites:
RealTokyo on dorkbot #000001
Radio Life article on dorkbot #000001