Japan-based Yamaha has always been at the forefront of digital music, and its latest instrument maintains that tradition. The company has unveiled a device developed by artist and video-game creator Toshio Iwai called the Tenori-On. The gadget is a square pad festooned with tiny illuminated dots that act as a musical interface to the device's beat-sequencing functions.

Essentially, the Tenori-On lets you experiment with a form of self-induced synesthesia on the way to creating your next great hit song. Another way to look at it is as a musical Etch-A-Sketch. Former Sonic Youth band member Jim O'Rourke (whose Japanese isn't bad) takes the device for a spin in this video and it becomes immediately clear how much potential the Tenori-On holds for musicians.

What's most exciting about the Tenori-On is that this is its first iteration — future versions may very well allow producers to go beyond playing with dots and allow for the manipulation of animated images to create living soundscapes. Alas, if you're not in the U.K., you'll have to be patient; the Tenori-On is set to be test-marketed exclusively in Great Britain first, with other countries following if customer demand warrants a full-scale rollout. — Adario Strange

Via Yamaha

More pics after the jump.