Initiative to Unleash Creativity Through Sound

A soundscape with gentle, natural fluctuations created by phenomena of nature.

"sound biotope" is an experimental project led by Konel and YAMAHA, exploring how natural sounds can enhance creativity. As its first initiative, an installation has been set up in magma lounge, located within magmabooks—a newly opened bookstore in Toranomon Hills that focuses on intellectual stimulation and creativity.

Issue

In today’s information-heavy society, we are constantly exposed to an overwhelming amount of visual data.

Amid this environment, we chose to focus on hearing—one of our key senses—creating moments detached from the flood of information to foster creativity.

YAMAHA and Konel, collaborating with diverse creators, are developing sound experiences inspired by natural phenomena. By installing them in various spaces, we aim to unlock and enrich the human auditory experience.

Creation

The first edition of sound biotope, the magma edition, was designed for magma lounge, a space that enhances creativity through cycles of focus and relaxation.Inspired by the suikinkutsu, a traditional Japanese garden technique, its system fills the space with the resonant sound of dripping water. This organic, irregular flow of sound envelops the body, freeing the mind and awakening inner creativity. (Exclusive to magma lounge users.)The core mechanism features ceramic vessels fired in the Hizen region. By blending the principles of suikinkutsu with modern engineering, the system continuously generates and circulates natural ambient sounds.The project is overseen by renowned gardener Yosuke Yamaguchi with sound tuning by Teru Uchida, a clavichord maker.The design incorporates a polyhedral structure combining regular pentagons and heptagons, creating a dynamic form that shifts in appearance from every angle. magma edition embodies the transformation of knowledge—rising like magma before solidifying—contrasting with the FOCUS zone dedicated to concentration. Exclusive to magma lounge users.

Technology

An immersive audio system for soundscapes.

Through various studies on YAMAHA sound and spatial acoustics, we applied our expertise and technology to create a new auditory experience together.

Future

Unleashing Creativity Through Sound

This initiative marks the beginning of exploring how to enhance creativity by focusing on auditory experiences, shifting away from the visual overload of everyday life.