The YouTube channel toco toco tv has released the latest installment of its artist documentary series. This week’s video is about Ei Wada, a musician in Tokyo who makes music from old media, like open tape reel recorders, VHS tapes, and boxy TVs.
First spotted by Prosthetic Knowledge, the clip follows Wada as he discusses his unusual tools and artistic process. Wada takes viewers on a tour of his local stops in Tokyo, including the only lab in the city where you can develop 8mm film, a steel factory, and his studio. He’s in a band called Open Reel Ensemble, and has a solo project called Electronicos Fantasticos!
Near the end of the video, Wada crafts a kind of theremin / nu-wave guitar out of an old standing fan. He says his music comes from the electricity of appliances, with his body acting as an antenna.
The entire thing is a fascinating look at the second lives of forgotten objects, and it’s worth a watch.