Photokoto

"The Photo Koto is a musical instrument that plays the sounds of a city. Resembling the Japanese koto, the instrument has 48 photo sensors are mounted in along its length. Each one triggers a different sound, collected in Los Angeles along the path of the Metro Red line. The sounds are arranged spatially along the instrument. With each sample, the small scale beauty scattered through Los Angeles is simultaneously collected and revealed, and when played and combined a new soundscapes emerge. The piece was recently on display at the 2009 Design | Media Arts undergraduate exhibition." - Patrick Tierney

The photokoto was made in collaboration with Patrick Tierney.

Video: https://vimeo.com/3950103
Materials: Custom Fabrication, Arduino, Midi, 48 photo sensors

April 2008