【コラム】 Strange Musical Toys — 世界の奇妙な音の玩具たち

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12 Oct 2025

【コラム】 Strange Musical Toys — 世界の奇妙な音の玩具たち

“Sound toys” around the world

Text: mmr

Theme: From children’s toys to artists’ instruments - Toward the era of AI toys, tactile instruments, and social toys

There are places where the line between music and play becomes blurred.We live in a world where the electronic sounds of toys held in children’s hands are eventually recognized as creative tools for professional stages and artists.Weird sound sources like Radel, Omnichord, Stylophone, and Circuit Bending, which modified homemade circuits, became more than toys and became cultural experimental devices.

In this column, we trace unusual musical toys from around the world, unraveling their history, philosophy, and reinterpretation by modern artists.

Ⅰ. The pleasure of hands playing with sound

We must not forget that the tactile sense'' is at the origin of the act of music.When you pluck the strings, press the keys, or turn the knobs, you receive a response at your fingertips.This immediacy is the same in the toys that children come into contact with during their childhood. In the 21st century, electronic sounds have been extended to children's toys and educational gadgets, and the act ofsounding’’ itself has been designed as part of play.The line between toys and musical instruments is becoming increasingly blurred.

Ⅱ. Sound toy culture in Asia

Radel Electronic Tanpura

The electronic tabla, developed by the Indian company Radel in the late 1970s, is a device that portableizes the sustained sounds of traditional raga performance.It has become popular among a wide range of people, from children to adults, because it allows complex stringed instruments to be easily reproduced at home. The simplification of electronic sounds actually opened the door to new improvisations.The electronic tanpura placed on the desk at home has become a ``homely ritual’’ that resonates at the boundary between learning and play.

Portable evolution of electronic musical instruments

The digitization of traditional musical instruments has progressed not only in India but also throughout Asia.Musical instruments that even children can operate have appeared, including small sitars, pocket-sized gamelans, and electronic harps.The stability and ease of sound created by electronic technology stimulates the creativity of performers.

Ⅲ. Omnicode and its descendants

Released in 1978, the Omnichord quickly became loved around the world as a unique “chord harp.”

Unique interface combining keyboard and stroke board
Easy to play simple chords with just one finger
Lo-fi and cosmic tones

The Omnichord has become more than a prop for techno-pop and indie artists during live performances and recordings.The sound is the embodiment of a design philosophy that welcomes chance and improvisation.

Album using Omnichord

Cornelius – Fantasma (1997)

Japanese pop/electronica.Omnichord’s unique chords add warmth to the song.

Björk – Vespertine (2001)

A fusion of subtle electronic sounds and analog feel.Omnichord’s delicate chord feel contributes to an introspective sound.

Ⅳ. European strange sound devices

Stylophone and Optigan

The British Stylophone is a desk synth familiar from 1970s TV ads.When you trace the metal contacts with your fingertips, a distinctive beep sounds.Its ease and noisy feel were incorporated into early techno-pop and avant-garde music. The Optigan is an organ toy that plays sounds using optical discs, and is characterized by unpredictable patterns and rhythms.

Album using Stylophone

David Bowie – Space Oddity (1969 single)

Stylophone used in early singles.Characterized by a cosmic and minimalist tone.

Aphex Twin – Selected Ambient Works 85–92 (1992)

Ambient techno created by minisynths and toy-like electronic sounds.

From educational toys to clubs

In Europe, educational electronic toys also found their way into club culture and avant-garde music.A simple synthesizer on a desk brought ``accidental noise’’ to the performers’ creativity, expanding the range of musical expression.

Ⅴ. America’s DIY electronics and strange inventors

Circuit bending is a method of creating new sounds by modifying existing electronic toys and synths, and was codified by Reed Ghazala in the 1970s.

Open the Casio SA series keyboard and connect the circuits randomly
Accidental short circuits and noises create new sounds
The act of “destruction” and “creation” occurring at the same time

DIY electronic instruments have become deeply ingrained in American garage culture and avant-garde music, combining the joy of manual labor with a sense of sonic adventure.

Circuit Bending / Use of modified toys

Merzbow – Pulse Demon (1996)

A noise experimental piece that makes full use of modified electronic equipment and noise toys.

Ⅵ. Japan’s golden age of electronic toys

In the 1970s and 1980s, portable synths and electronic musical instruments became popular in Japanese households.

Yamaha Portasound Series
CASIO VL-TONE
Educational synths such as Gakken’s SX-150

Electronic sounds can be easily experienced on desks at home or school, and children have become familiar with the culture of ``playing with sounds.’‘In modern times, digital toys like Otamatone are connected to YouTube culture, creating a new world of “cute sounds.”

VII. Scandinavian irregular aesthetics

In Scandinavia, small, highly designed synths have appeared.

Teenage Engineering OP-1
Pocket Operator series

Its simple, intuitive operability and cartoon-like tone combine Scandinavian humor and sophistication.It is unique in that it retains its character as a toy, but is also used by professional artists.

Pocket Operator / Teenage Engineering

Four Tet – Rounds (2003)

It anticipates the atmosphere of a small electronic sound source similar to Pocket Operator.Minimal beat and melody.

Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma (2010)

A complex texture that combines electronic toys and small synth-like sounds.

Ⅷ. Contemporary Artists and Toy Sound

Many contemporary artists, including Björk, Cornelius, Bon Iver, and Laurie Anderson, have incorporated toy instruments into their live performances and recordings. Low-resolution sounds and accidental noises become tools for creating a sense of intimacy and improvisation, and are praised for daring to maintain a ``handmade’’ feel in the age of digital.

Ⅸ. Future toy music

Musical toys, such as AI toys, tactile instruments, and social toys, continue to evolve as a testing ground for new interfaces. The concept of “play” is once again returning to the center of music creation and is playing an important cultural role in the future of electronic sound.

Appendix

Evolutionary history of Strange Musical Toys around the world (simple chronology)

flowchart TD A1970["1970: Stylophone released (UK)"] B1978["1978: Omnichord released (Japan)"] C1979["1979: Radel Electronic Tanpura introduced (India)"] D1980["1980: CASIO VL-TONE released (Japan)"] E1990["1990: Establishment of Circuit Bending concept (USA)"] F2007["2007: Teenage Engineering OP-1 released (Sweden)"] G2010["2010: Pocket Operator Series (Sweden)"] H2020["2020: AI toy music device introduced"] A1970 --> B1978 --> C1979 --> D1980 --> E1990 --> F2007 --> G2010 --> H2020

Amazon Link

Omnichord

Radel Electronic Tanpura

Stylophone series

Pocket Operator

Strange Musical Toys Recommended Albums/Books

Album name	Artist	Release year	Device used/Features	Link
Fantasma	Cornelius	1997	Pop/electronica centered around Omnichord chords	Amazon
Vespertine	Björk	2001	Delicate chord feel and minute electronic sounds by Omnichord	Amazon
Space Oddity	David Bowie	1969	Stylophone used, space-like minimal tone	Amazon
Selected Ambient Works 85–92	Aphex Twin	1992	Ambient/techno with toy electronic sounds such as Stylophone	Amazon
Rounds	Four Tet	2003	Pocket Operator style mini-synth electronic sound	Amazon
Cosmogramma	Flying Lotus	2010	Complex texture combining small synth/electronic toy sounds	Amazon
Circuit-Bent Explorations	Reed Ghazala	2005	Circuit Bending Books	Amazon
Pulse Demon	Merzbow	1996	Experimental music centered around modified electronic toys and noise	Amazon
Solar Gambling	Omar Rodríguez-López	2010	Mini synth, avant-garde guitar with toy-like electronic sounds	Amazon
Big Science	Laurie Anderson	1982	Music/performance experiments using Stylophone and simple synths	Amazon