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General

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ln_ext: New Generation of Media Artists is the new exhibition taking place at the NTT InterCommunication Center Gallery. REALTOKYO seems to have mixed feeling about the show.

Now it really looks like ICC has run out of cash… One almost feels pity for the artists when looking at the unspectacular displays, but since we’re talking about a “new generation” here, to spoon-feed them with an abundant budget would surely not be the right way. An outstanding presence among them is definitely Exonemo’s awesome video work projecting real-time images with a delay onto a trapezium. It’s an upgraded versio nof what they were showing at Yamaguchi Center for Arts and Media before, and the retro-style visuals look pretty cool. Another nice one is Ohata Sayaka’s device to grope for a target using only sound as an instrument. It’s basically a glove with a sensor, and it feels just great how it vibrates on the hand! Bi-bi-biii.

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Cute

The London Review of Books leads this month with Cute: Kitty Hauser on style in Japan. It’s a workmanlike article, a review of FRUITS by Shoichi Aoki […] and THE IMAGE FACTORY: FADS AND FASHIONS IN JAPAN by Donald Richie.

(from Click Opera)

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Laptop Orchestra 2nd Session

A bit of laptopism for you (more details at the official site). From REALTOKYO:

An “orchestra” concert organized by musician and university assistant professor Christophe Charles sounds like a pretty academic affair. In reality, though, the laptop orchestra sessions are happening in a private house in Ryogoku, where you can either participate with your own gear, or lie on the floor and just listen. This is the second occasion for all those interested in pursuing the possibilities of laptop computers and software in experimental sessions, and those who just like to listen to these in realtime. The results will be published on the Internet, but to witness on the spot how the remixes come out at the end of the chain of computers sounds like the biggest fun. Space is limited, so don’t wait to send an email and make your reservation.

Update: The person behind the event is actually Philippe Chatelain.

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The Tokyo Type Directors Club Exhibition 2004

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I totally forgot about this month’s exhibit at the GGG, and it looks like a good one.

This year ginza graphic gallery will hold the Tokyo type Directors Club Exhibition 2004, which has become a fixture in the typography world’s schedule. TDC (Tokyo type Directors Club) holds an annual international design competition on visual representation in typography. Again this year a large number of entries from around the world were received and the TDC Grand Prize and other award-winning works have again been decided after a rigorous examination. The present exhibition introduces the award-winning works, in advance of publication of the TDC Annual 2004 in August. The works provide a view of the latest trends in typography around the world. We are also pleased to announce that a design forum “TDC DAY” will be held during the exhibition period.

Better hurry up, as it ends April 28!

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General

Superidol Makoto Goes Web

Seems like Superidol Makoto (featured on this site here and here) has his own website. Patrick sent me a link to a page for the band Chimidoro, who performed at the Tokyo Fun Party last night, and they mention Makoto (but I can’t really tell what it’s about).

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Pages – online magazine

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All the way from Sydney, Australia; a (for me) new online magazine called Pages. Make sure you check it out. It’s really nice, and free 🙂

Update (16/08/21): This post was part of a week-long “Next Century Modern Blog” stint, by guest blogger Jesper Larsson.

Categories
Fashion

New GENEVEtokyo T-shirts

GENEVEtokyo have a some new t-shirts in stock. Can’t say that I like them as much as the last batch. I still regret not getting the ZEBRAMAN one, which I saw someone wearing the other day.

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Spring 2004 Anime, Part 2

As a followup to the new Spring anime TV series post I wrote the other day, here are another 2 shows I’ve had a chance to watch.

GANTZ – I remember seeing a preview for a movie version of this at the beginning of MATRIX REVOLUTIONS last year, and thinking that it looked very cool. I don’t know when the movie is to be released, or how it relates to this new TV series (since the TV series has the tagline “the first stage,” I’m assuming that it acts as a lead-in to the movie). One of the things I really liked was the zooming technique used to tell the story. A lot of the narration is told through the thoughts of characters, and the camera does this by zooming in and out of various characters in an area, and you hear their thoughts. Most of the narration is told through the thoughts of the main character, and they’re hilarious because he’s always thinking (usually insults) the opposite of what he says. As far as the story goes, it’s still hard to say where this is heading. 2 boys die trying to save a homeless person on a train track, and they end up in a room with other people that have also supposedly died. Out the window they can see the Tokyo skyline, but they’re unable to touch the door or window handles (some kind of force prevents it). There’s a huge black sphere in the middle of the room, and at the end of the first episode it communicates with them with a message written in green on it, something telling them that they’re now under its control. Looking forward to the second episode. There are trailers for the show at the official site. Oh, and it’s got a great theme song by Rip Slyme, the only Japanese rap group I can stand.

anime_img1PANDA-Z: THE ROBONIMATION – I mentioned the Panda-Z merchandise a while back, and now they’ve come up with an anime series. What’s fun here is that they are only 5 minutes shorts, and quite wacky at that. There is no spoken dialogue, and all dialogue appears as text on a black background, sort of like early silent movies. In the second episode, you have one of the pandas trying to eat batteries, with a message constantly scrolling at the bottom saying that batteries are not edible, and later the message starts getting absurd. Every time he’s unsuccessful, the panda freaks out and gets in a battle pose, which is the exact same bit of animation every time (part of the joke). Fun stuff.

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Tokyo Fun

Patrick gives us a rundown of last night’s Tokyo Fun Party.

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General

Vending Machines

For fans of vending machines in Japan, this site if for you. Includes a pic of the infamous used pantie machines (which I’ve yet to see anywhere).