1.5-liter musical orchestra unplugged. Making good usage of the laws of physics; to make the most of the available inventory; a Japanese informal music group has found way to create music out of sounds created through doctored used beverage bottles. This Nagoya based music duo Kajii considers kitchen utensils like teacups, tubs and frying pans, even PET bottles as music instruments as they all produce unique sounds.Kajiispecializes in creating sounds from all sorts of utensils to perform at venues. One of the latest “creations” of the duo is a percussion instrument comprising of 24 empty PET bottles that are attached to a bicycle wheel. Though, the exterior looks different it produces ringing sounds when struck, similar to metal that is being struck with a stick.
29 years old Sohei Hara, the other group member performs with Susumu Kumagai. The duo adopted the respective stage names of So & Kumama. After experimenting with PET bottles of all shapes and sizes, Hara says “An empty 1.5-liter Coca-Cola PET bottle is the only plastic container that can produce this sound,”. As the containers are used for Coca-Cola, the duo call the instrument “Air Coke,” The duo spent around 2 months to create the right pitch with this instrument.
Each PET bottle has an air valve for an inner tube of a bicycle tire attached to its opening and Hara says when the plastic bottle is whacked after air is pumped into the bottle that could produce a clear sound due to the inner pressure. The more air pumped into the bottle means the higher the pitch.The duo claims to have developed the instrument through trial and error, getting inspiration from videos made outside Japanshowing the principle. The Air Coke, as an ensemble of twenty-fourPET bottles, can produce 2 octaves of sound.
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The duo settled on the shape of a steering wheel of a ship for Air Coke to strike the bottles more easily within sight of audience members.Hailing from Nagoya, Kumagai plans to use only original shapes of daily necessities. While Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, a native Hara who formed Kajii in 2013 had been perusing separate music careers in Tokyo when he met Kumagai.
The duo hit kajii off as they both wanted to create “cozy-sounding” music. And started playing music together using everyday items.The duo’s name has three meanings: kaji –household chores– for daily life; “kaji” –smithing– for making things by striking metal; and “kaze” –wind– that brings new things.They duo set to come up with wider variety of sounds using instruments made of daily necessities, have developed around 50 instruments to date.The duo holds concerts and host workshops across their country to show how much fun music and the Shokkin are with a percussion family instrument consisting of 29 drinking cups &bowls.They have also made string instruments using rice paddles, wooden tubs, and kitchen utensils, like frying pans.The sound of sensitive Air Cokechanges depending on the temperature and acoustics at a venue. The duo intends to make more modifications for their future concerts.
