The strangely titled Tenori-on is a new concept in music production combing a traditional sequencer with a dedicated hardware interface. It's difficult to describe so be sure to check it out for yourself.

It looks very much like a traditional tablet PC but instead of a screen it has a matrix of dots on screen each of which correspond to pitch and time depending on their position on screen. The user can trigger samples and patterns simply by turning dots on and off. The visuals constantly change to create an engaging visual representation of the music being generated.

It is hoped that by providing a simple way for the musician to create and rework their music live their creativity will not be limited allowing for more dynamic and engaging performances. The unique visual feedback also allows the audience to activley follow what the artist is doing in a conceptual manner increasing the artists on stage presence.

The Tenori-on has been in development for several years but the first version is ready for distribution. This approach to music production and the live presence it creates is an exciting development for the industry and will hopefully spawn a rethink of traditional approaches.

Phonica Records in Soho, London is hosting the world exclusive launch party plus there will be Tenori-on displays in 8 Major cities across the UK. Sonic State has an interview with one of the developers including the unit in action.