Love Hultén’s produces a custom and guitar-like synth instrument with ferrofluid that dances whenever a sound plays. A seeming reimagination of the Y17 sound machine, the device is a commission by a client that now forms part of his growing sonic projects. The synth instrument runs on batteries, and it houses a modified Arturia Microfreak synth along with a ferrofluid visualizer. There are also built-in speakers, so users can already hear the sounds as soon as they play the device.

The hand-built sound machine has a boxy body, with the upper left part’s corner being cut off for the speakers. There are two arms: one for the sound buttons and the other to tweak the reverb. A set of switches and dials are arranged on the body, with the mounted switches and rotary knobs sitting next to the encased ferrofluid. There’s also a shoulder strap for the user, so they can carry it with them anywhere and while they play.

all images courtesy of Love Hultén

steel rod with rings acts as a pitch or effect handle

Love Hultén’s synth instrument doesn’t have strings or keys, but knobs and controls. Upon a closer look, there are straight lines mapped around the body, leading to the function of the controls, such as the select button, type of sounds, and even the customizing of the movement of the ferrofluid. On the top face of the device there are twelve rotary knobs. They connect to the microcontroller, and turning the knobs changes settings for pitch, filter, volume, or modulation. Below the knobs is a row of toggle switches, and these switches change modes or link circuits.

One black joystick in the center allows the player to bend notes or control other parameters. On the right side, one of the long arms, a steel rod with rings, acts as a pitch or effect handle. Moving this rod changes a signal value read by a sensor. The top of the instrument has an arm with two rows of small buttons, which trigger sounds in sequence. The sensors are placed in a straight line so the player can touch or block each one to start or stop notes. So far, the synth instrument is a commissioned project by Love Hultén for a client of his.

the instrument runs on batteries, and it houses a modified Arturia Microfreak synth

a steel rod with rings acts as a pitch or effect handle

Love Hultén’s synth instrument doesn’t have strings or keys, but knobs and controls

detailed view of the device

there’s even a button to customize the ferrofluid’s movement

detailed view of the ferrofluid

project info:

designer: Love Hultén | @lovehulten

The post love hultén’s guitar-like synth instrument has ferrofluid that dances when a sound plays appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

When Swedish designer Love Hultén was approached by strategist Stephan Sigrist to create a bespoke synthesizer system for his customized 1985 Aston Martin Lagonda, the result was a marriage of automotive heritage and electronic music. The Lagonda, already a rare and iconic car, has become even more extraordinary with the addition of the innovative design by Hultén — who teamed up with designboom in June 2024 to unveil his Y-17 sound machine at Sónar+D. This collaboration introduces a unique, immersive experience for the passengers while reinforcing the importance of handcrafted artistry in a world increasingly dominated by digital technology.

The Aston Martin Lagonda, originally released in the 1970s and produced through the 1980s, was a car ahead of its time. It stood out for its angular, wedge-like profile and cutting-edge technology. In 1985, a special edition of the Lagonda was customized by Tickford for the Sultan of Oman, with luxury features like a VHS recorder, a screen, and a crystal bar. This model was a symbol of status and technological advancement. Ultimately Sigrist came to acquire the rare variant.

images © Andrea Klainguti for Classic Driver

love Hultén installs a custom Synthesizer System

Stephan Sigrist, an avid electronic music producer and collaborator from the Swiss think tank W.I.R.E., furthers the experience of the Aston Martin Lagonda by integrating a live music creation. ‘I wanted to develop a counter-position to the digital cars that do everything for you these days, that basically disempower people,’ Sigrist explains. This led to the idea of installing a synthesizer system in the back of the car, allowing passengers to play live music that would interact with the driving experience.

To bring this vision to life, Sigrist turns to Love Hultén, a Swedish designer known for his work that blends woodworking, electronics, and audiovisual art. Hultén is well-regarded for his hybridizations of old-school craftsmanship with modern technology, and his expertise made him the perfect candidate to create a system that was as much a piece of art as it was functional.

Love Hultén’s contribution to the Lagonda takes the form of a two-part synthesizer system: a drum machine and a small synthesizer. The synthesizer features an additional oscillator that visually displays the sound waves, allowing the passengers to experience both the auditory and visual aspects of their music creation. This setup provides entertainment for the passengers while highlighting Hultén’s unique design philosophy — one that emphasizes user interaction, creativity, and sensory engagement.

Love Hultén created a custom synthesizer system for a 1985 Aston Martin Lagonda

automotive heritage renewed with tactile technology

Beyond this Aston Martin, Love Hultén’s work spans a wide array of projects, from audiovisual synthesizers to interactive design experiences. His design philosophy often blends vintage aesthetics with new technology to challenge traditional boundaries. Hultén has gained recognition for his innovative designs, such as the Y-17 sound machine, a ferrofluid visualizer, and Desert Songs, a project that connects cacti with music through PlantWave technology. His approach to design is rooted in his own passion for electronic music, which is clear in his creations for both professional musicians and everyday users.

Hultén’s focus on tactile, analog experiences sets him apart in a world increasingly dominated by screens and touch interfaces. His work evokes a sense of nostalgia while at once embracing the possibilities of new technology. This ability to fuse the old with the new is especially apparent in his collaboration with Sigrist on the Aston Martin Lagonda, where the car’s heritage is enhanced by the tactile nature of the synthesizer.

The collaboration between Sigrist and Hultén adds a new layer of depth to the Aston Martin Lagonda. While the car’s original technology was already revolutionary, Hultén’s synthesizer system takes it into a new area of creativity and interaction. Because it allows passengers to create music while driving, the Lagonda becomes a platform for personal expression and creative engagement.

the 1985 Lagonda was known for its wedge-like profile and cutting-edge technology

Sigrist’s car was customized with a two-part synth, making it an even more rare and valuable edition

Hultén is known for blending vintage aesthetics with modern technology in his designs

the synthesizer system allowed passengers to create live music during the drive

Stephan Sigrist, an electronic music producer, wanted to enhance his Lagonda with live music creation

project info:

name: Synthesized 1985 Aston Martin Lagonda

designer: Love Hultén | @lovehulten

client: Stephan Sigrist

photographer: © Andrea Klainguti | @andreaklainguti

The post love hultén installs custom synthesizer system inside a 1985 aston martin lagonda appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

As Sónar, Barcelona’s vibrant electronic music and digital culture festival, kicks off, Love Hultén’s whimsical synthesizers celebrate the playful intersection of modern technology and traditional craftsmanship. In an exhibition curated by designboom, the Swedish artist showcases his unique blend of sound and visual art at the festival’s digital leg, Sónar+D. While this year’s spotlight falls on the use of AI in the creative spheres, for Hultén, tactility holds reign in the digital age. ‘The instant feedback we get when interacting with something physical connects all the right dots in ways a digital interface never could,’ he tells us during our interview (read our conversation here).

Alongside Sebastian, the pinching MIDI crab, and Tegel, a nature-inspired work that translates biodata from organic material into audio, Hultén unveils his latest sound machine — Y-17. Crafted especially for the occasion, here, a synthesizer meets a ferrofluid visualizer. A gooey liquid within a wooden encasing is brought to life, dancing hypnotically in sync with tunes composed via the keypad.

all images courtesy of Love Hultén

y-17’s ferrofluids dance in sync with the music

Y-17, like a yellow otherworldly creature sprouting antennas, takes its cues from miscellaneous vintage toys, lending it a nostalgic yet futuristic character. During our conversation, Love Hultén described his aesthetic as ‘taking steps in different directions simultaneously by using fragments from both past and today,’ which is vividly embodied in the synth’s playful, retro-futuristic design.

For Sónar+D, the artist fits a simple mono synthesizer with a built-in looper and a 17-note keybed using tactile computer switches. A ferrofluid audio visualizer, where a colloidal liquid composed of nanoscale ferrimagnetic particles, reacts to a system of magnetic fields activated by the user’s touch. Connected to the synthesizer, an electromagnet connected to the audio input pulses with the music’s energy, animating the ferrofluid in response in a mesmerizing visual symphony. 

Sónar+D kicks off in Barcelona

Love Hultén unveils Y-17 for the first time

a synthesizer meets a ferrofluid visualizer

a yellow otherworldly creature sprouting antennas, taking its cues from miscellaneous vintage toys

F-17 embodies Love Hultén’s playful, retro-futuristic philosophy

a simple mono synthesizer with a built-in looper and a 17-note keybed using tactile computer switches

image © designboom

Desert Song | image © designboom

Sebastian | image © designboom

project info:

name: Y-17

designer: Love Hultén | @lovehulten

program: Sónar+D | @sonarfestival

dates: June 13th — 15th

The post synth meets ferrofluid visualizer: love hultén unveils new Y-17 with designboom at sónar+D appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

From a music box that filters marbles as it whirs, to a synthesizer animated by 25 sets of plastic teeth, Love Hultén’s whimsical contraptions are a glimpse into his fascination with retro-futurism, sci-fi, and the handmade. With a childhood marked by joyful memories of hours spent at the arcade and quiet moments dismantling electronics to uncover their secrets, Hultén’s works present ‘a personalized view of the world, via objects’, he tells designboom during our interview.

The Swedish audiovisual artist’s journey began with a curiosity for the inner workings of technology, yet it was during his formative years studying design that he stumbled upon a new love: wood. ‘I started to experiment with audiovisual contraptions combining traditional craftsmanship with modern technology, and found my niche,’ he shares. Finding solace in the warmth and versatility of the natural material, he has since explored playful zany yet understated expressions across his synths, game consoles, and more. Most notably, in an era of digital fabrication and a landscape dominated by screens and interfaces, Hultén’s practice remains quaint, considered, tactile, and thoughtful. Converging analog with electronic, each of his bespoke creations eschew the monotony of mass production, embracing creative individuality to produce works that he hopes will withstand the test of time. 

At the upcoming Sónar+D festival, designboom will present Love Hultén’s Sebastian, the MIDI crab, and Tegel, a nature-inspired works that translate biodata from organic material into audio, while unveiling a brand new piece created especially for the occasion. Ahead of the exhibition, we spoke to the artist to learn more about his aesthetic inspirations, his fusion of woodworking and electronics, his views on the importance of tactility in the digital age, and more. Read the full conversation below.

all images courtesy of Love Hultén

interview with the artist: bridging woodworking & electronics

designboom (DB): What sparked your fascination with woodworking and electronics, and how did you begin to intertwine these two mediums?

Love Hultén (LH): As a young boy I used to tear electronics apart trying to understand their insides. I guess I’ve always had a thing for that. During my bachelor years at Design HDK-Valand (Sweden) in 2010 I stumbled upon wood and fell in love. I started to experiment with audiovisual contraptions combining traditional craftsmanship with modern technology, and found my niche. The industry is pretty monotonous and I guess I offer something different. A personal view on the world, via objects. The lack of competition gives me a lot of creative freedom as well. My pieces are one-offs and while often being very conceptual, they still have to work in order to become genuine alternatives, be something more than just eye-catching objects.

the Swedish audiovisual artist and woodworker handcrafts snythesizes and game consoles

DB: Your works have a very playful, retro-futuristic aesthetic. What have been your key sources of inspiration that developed this visual language?

LH: Dieter Rams’ perspectives on design have always been a big influence for me, but I’m also very attracted to mystique in general. My pieces are usually based on something I’ve come across recently; an interesting object perhaps — anything that sparks my imagination. I then often scour my mind for function, a purpose that could connect with my visual idea in an interesting way. When I find a satisfactory mix between usability and aesthetics, it’s a go. But I can also work the other way around as well, using function as a design trigger. I play a lot with values and standards, suggesting a different perspective on how to relate and interact with objects. The smashed-up references in my work have a triggering effect I think.

Nostalgia is involved to a certain extent, yes, but it’s not looking backwards. It’s taking steps in different directions simultaneously by using fragments from both past and today, creating unique and balanced objects. I think the blend of past and present is much more interesting than just putting something on repeat.

Sebastian — inspired by the voyages of oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau

from biodata to sound

DB: Both Desert Songs and Tegel fuse nature and technology, utilizing biodata to generate sound. What inspired this exploration?

LH: I’ve always had a special love for those bio stations seen in sci-fi movies. They take something very familiar and place it into a strange abnormal context. I wanted to create something inspired by that, a biolab environment. Desert Songs was a big personal project of mine, and something I’ve been into for a while — translating biodata from organic material into audio. The installation translates biodata into MIDI. It’s not magic and the plants are not composing, it’s simply biofeedback creating true organic randomness. Tiny changes in electrical current — the plants act as variable resistors. Cacti were used for this project due to their very sparse and sporadic activity. The cacti garden includes a few different specimens hooked up to probes, and outputs for individual plants can be changed as you go using patch points upfront. I also made a custom MIDI visualizer mimicking chloroplasts under the microscope.

I made a second smaller piece shortly after, Tegel, this time using a small deciduous tree for more bio-activity. I would love to take this concept further in the future, upscaled — Per Kirkeby style.

the playful synthesizer is a solenoid concept using MIDI notes as triggers

DB: Can you walk us through the creative process of Sebastian? Which technologies made this happen and how did you ensure to integrate methods of traditional craftsmanship alongside this?

LH: I did a fun commissioned synthesizer a while back. This client in particular was an ex-diver and wanted an oceanic theme, specifically something aesthetically inspired by the voyages of oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau. He wanted some kind of audio visualization as part of the setup and that gave me the idea of a small red crab dancing to the audio. After some thinking I came up with this solenoid concept using MIDI notes as triggers. It was mechanically challenging getting legs and claws to move organically but I eventually got it right. I really liked that small crab, and knew I wasn’t done. I started to design a more dedicated crab synth shortly after. Smaller synth, bigger crab. I named it Sebastian (The Little Mermaid). The casing is made from sheet stock composite wood, then garnished with fake wood grains using a laser engraver. I’m basically mimicking hardwood using residues from the hardwood industry, that’s a circle of life right there.

tactility and traditional craftsmanship in the digital age

DB: By integrating analog, tactile elements into your works you create a more personal, multi-sensory experience. How do you see this approach fostering a deeper connection between the audience, your art, and technology — particularly in a digital landscape where interactions are often confined to screens?

LH: There’s a lot of consumer based nostalgia in the western world right now, but I also think a lot of people today are in need of tactility, something genuine to lay our hands on. Surrounded by throwaway excess touch screen products and desperately craving the latest phone model, I think we’ll develop a craving for handcrafted and tactile objects. The instant feedback we get when interacting with something physical connects all the right dots in ways a digital interface never could.

Desert Songs uses Plantwave – a small device that translates biodata from organic material into MIDI

DB: With mass production and digital fabrication prevalent in the digital age, what draws you to handcrafting your pieces?

LH: I’m quite inspired by mid-20th century concepts, when we had a different view on quality and craftsmanship. Material knowledge in combination with accomplished execution. For instance, using a material that grows a unique patina without regular maintenance and daily care extends the expiration date of a product: it will breathe through time, rather than get suffocated by it. I’d like to be part of creating objects that sparkle and live on through generations.

DB: What can we expect from the new piece that you’ll be unveiling at Sonar+D?

LH: I’m still figuring that out. I have a visual idea, but still working on the concept around it. You’ll just have to wait and see.

‘it’s biofeedback creating true organic randomness’

Tegel fuses nature and technology

the device uses a small deciduous tree for bio-activity

CHD-4 drum machine turns patients’ heartbeats into rhythmic soundscapes

sound machine TE-LAB is a custom-built sequencer made from wood-like modules

project info:

artist: Love Hultén

designboom is presenting the sound machines and synth works of Love Hultén at Sónar+D from June 13th to 15th, 2024, in Barcelona – read more about the program here.

The post love hultén on bridging woodworking with electronics for his whimsical synthesizers appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

At Sónar+D, designboom is presenting the sound machines and synth works of Love Hultén (read our interview with him about the festival here) as part of the festival’s exhibition grounds. Sónar+D falls under the umbrella of Sónar 2024, Barcelona’s festival of music, innovation, and creativity, which runs from June 13th to 15th, 2024. During the three-day celebration, the use of AI in the creative industries becomes the main focus of, but not limited to, Sónar+D’s theme. Visitors to the Sónar+D can walk around the exhibitions and see, test, and experience creative technology and innovative art that employs research, AI-generated visuals, and experimental video games.

designboom presents Love Hultén at Sónar+D 2024 | images courtesy of Love Hultén

Synth and midi sound using plants and A crab

Inside the Project Area of Sónar+D, designboom welcomes visitors to the exhibition of some of Love Hultén’s sound-generating art, including a new machine made and tailored specially for the festival. Fans of the audiovisual artist are able to see and try out Sebastian, the MIDI Crab. In this machine, a keyboard with large-sized keys in white and red produces MIDI sounds when pressed, all the while the crab encased in a clock-looking container above moves, clinches and pinches its pincers and legs.

Tegel is set to make an appearance as well, which is Love Hultén’s sound sculpture based on the biodata derived from plants. In this installation, a small device translates the biodata from organic material, the plants, into MIDI. The plants are not composing their own music, but simply giving their biofeedback, or the tiny changes in their electrical current. Love Hultén’s role is to echo these sounds into synth tunes, sharing them with the visitors of the festival too.

Full list of Sónar+D exhibitors unveiled

The Sónar+D’s exhibitors allow have a lot in store for their visitors during the event. These creatives and artists and their works include +RAIN Film Festival presented by UPF & Sónar+D, 3 out of 7 A MAZE. Awards 2024 Winners, Aalto University, All Our Minds, AlphaTheta, Andy Gracie x .NewArt { foundation;} – Massive Binaries, Anecoica Studio Sileno, ANTONUS, Arts Korea Lab, AudioStellar*, Barcelona Supercomputing Center – Art-driven innovation, BAU, Centre Universitari d’Arts i Disseny – SINAPSIS, Befaco, Candela Rodríguez x ESDI – (MI CUERPO DIGITAL) creación y extensión de identidades a través del arte digital, and Carla Molins-Pitarch – CITM (UPC) – Life Blocks, a Phygital Kinetic DNA Experience.

Included as well are: Col·lectiu Axolot – Eixam, Componental – Dubby, DataMind Audio – Combobulator, Endorphin.es, ESPRONCEDA / IMMENSIVA – KIELI, Ferran Lega Lladós – Thymus Vulgaris, FHV – Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences – FOHRAMOOS. Gabriel Helfenstein, Fantasia Malware – Okthryssia and Saturnia’s Bureaucratic Adventures, GameBCN – The videogame incubator, Harriet Davey and snake_case – Energy Drinks and Bisexual Lighting, IED Barcelona – Unwoven memories, Institute of Digital Fashion – WATCH, PLAY, SCAN, SIT, LAY on IoDF: Leanne Elliott Young and Cattytay, Intelligent Instruments lab, IRCAM Forum, Krea, La Salle – Campus Barcelona, LAURA BENETTON X IRB BARCELONA – WFP DANCE, LCI Barcelona – GROOVIFY, and Love Hultén presented by designboom.

Desert Songs | read more about it here 

Visitors also expect projects and artworks from LOWKEYMOVES – Laura AI, Making Sound Machines, MONOGRID – Momentum, Moth Quantum – Quantum Sonification: Harness Qubits for Musical Innovation, mots – AI & Me: The Confessional and AI Ego, Music Technology Group, UPF – Essentia, Mutan Monkey Instruments, NANO Modules, Neuroelectrics – Enakd, Nina Protocol, OXI ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENTS, Patching Panda, Post-computer – Graphicsynth, Rhett TSAI (蔡宇潇) – How Deep Is the Dark Water? (乌水有多深) – With the support of Casa Asia, Roel Heremans – The NeuroRight Arcades, sbrk devices – zerua nahasi, Sebastian Schmieg – Prompt Battle Training Station, Segmento Futuro – Pas De Deux, Shared Campus, SOUND OBSESSED – Temporal Tide: Sonified Narratives for a Sustainable Future, and Stability AI – Stable Audio.

They can also witness Studio Above&Below – Regenerative Symphony With the support of S+T+ARTS in the City, Team Rolfes – 321Rule: T.R.A.C.T Explorer, Technology, Performance & Society / University of Music and Theatre Munich – Seven Things About Late Technoculture (academic papers for fast life), Tesseract Modular, The Generative Art Museum, This is Not Rocket Science, Trondheim Academy of Fine Art (NTNU) – Artistic research and Entrepreneurship, UKRAiNATV / StreamArtStudio – EUROPEAN STREAM ART NETWORK – PROTOTYPING, and Vostok Instruments. During the exhibitions, technology and art are both used to create installations and artworks, from sounds to visuals as well as AI-generated productions.

Desert Songs

Love Hultén is creating a new piece that will be presented at Sónar+D

FM Scope

Tegel | read more about it here 

Tegel

Sebastian

Sebastian

project info:

event: Sónar 2024

program: Sónar+D

dates: June 13th to 15th, 2024

location: Fira Montjuïc. Avinguda Rius i Taulet, Barcelona, Spain

audiovisual artist: Love Hultén

presented by: designboom

The post sónar+D reveals full list of exhibitors including love hultén’s works presented by designboom appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Swedish artist and craftsman Love Hultén has designed the Tegel, a sound sculpture that merges traditional craftsmanship with modern technology. Across his body of work (see more of his creations in our previous articles here), the artist combines vintage aesthetics with contemporary functionality, exploring diverse mediums like woodworking, electronics, and design. Tegel, specifically, incorporates a miniature bonsai tree connected to probes and a small computer to create audio experiences. The sculpture interprets biological data from organic material by detecting minute fluctuations in electrical currents, and then these signals are translated into MIDI, which is directed to a Korg NTS-1 synth for basic sound manipulation. This innovative approach cleverly utilizes plants as adjustable resistors, highlighting a fusion of nature and technology in generating sound.

all images by Love Hultén

A Fusion of Craftsmanship and Technology

Love Hultén is recognized for his handcrafted consoles, retro-inspired gaming devices, synthesizers, and other art pieces that combine nostalgic elements with a minimalist and sleek design. The piece also features an analog VU-meter and a small MIDI keyboard for optional use. Drawing inspiration from the brick sculptures by Per Kirkeby, a Danish painter, poet, filmmaker, and sculptor, its design was initially conceived as a prototype for a local public art contest. Hultén’s work highlights his blend of traditional craftsmanship and contemporary technology, aiming to breathe life into objects and challenge conventional perceptions of music and design.

the sound sculpture is based on biodata

the design draws inspiration from the brick sculptures by Danish painter and poet Per Kirkeby

the plant acts as a variable resistor

a small Bonsai tree is hooked up to probes, and a small computer transforms the biodata into MIDI signals

project info:

name: Tegel

designer: Love Hultén | @lovehulten

The post love hultén’s tegel sound sculpture incorporates bonsai tree to generate audio experiences appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Audiovisual artist Love Hultén has teamed up with Teenage Engineering to devise an arrhythmic drum machine to raise awareness for congenital heart disease (CHD). CHD-4 is conceived as a modular synth with a sequencer, handcrafted from wood and based on the real ECG scans of four young CHD patients. Each of the four heartbeat patterns have been transformed into a four-track circular sequencer, allowing the user to play and create music in tandem.

On Valentine’s day, the instrumental machine was put up for auction through Stockholms Auktionsverk to raise funds for the Swedish Heartchild Foundation, a nonprofit supporting children born with congenital heart diseases. The auction starts on February 14 and ends on February 28.

all images by Love Hultén

transforming electrocardiodiagrams into music

Although over 1.3 million babies are born with CHD each year – making it the most common birth defect in the world, the issue has low general awareness. To increase knowledge and engagement, Swedish tech company Teenage Engineering and designer and woodworker Love Hultén’s CHD–4 unites art, technology design, and purpose.

The drum machine was created using the electrocardiograms of four children named Liv, Janiyah, Vincent and Wega — each born with different heart defects — and works like a modular synthesizer. Each child’s ECG has been decoded to a sequencer, creating distinct patterns based on individual shape, pace and BPM. Each sequence — or ‘heartbeat’ — can be played separately or together to produce a wide range of sounds, and can also be manually offset in relation to the others to further explore the soundscapes and create sounds that exemplify each child’s irregular heartbeat.

each of the four circular plates in the sequencer each represent a patient’s heartbeat

Expanding on the project, Love Hultén notes: ‘Drum machines are defined by order – beats, pace, and rhythm. This machine disrupts that system, the same way life is disrupted when a child is born with congenital heart disease. Transforming these tiny broken hearts into sound was a truly heartfelt experience. I sincerely hope the machine ends up with someone who will cherish the craft and purpose and that the auction generates a sizable donation to the cause.’

the display, inspired by an ECG machine, shows the rhythms being played in real-time

the modular synth is contained within a handcrafted wooden box

project info:

name: CHD–4
designer: Love Hultén

collaborator: Teenage Engineering

designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: ravail khan | designboom

The post love hultén’s CHD-4 drum machine turns patients’ heartbeats into rhythmic soundscapes appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Thorny cacti sound just like how they look: haunting, eerie, but at times, playful. Audiovisual artist Love Hultén wondered what cacti sounded like and went ahead to bring out their inner tunes in his signature way of using wires, data, and his custom-built sound machine.

‘It’s not magic and the plants are not composing, it’s simply biofeedback creating true organic randomness,’ he says. As he plugs the clip into the cactus’ thorns, he closes the lid, turns up the volume, and right there, the plant’s fluctuating feedback flow into the space music box of the audiovisual artist, affording listeners the haunting but alluring sounds of nature.

images courtesy of Love Hultén

Dubbed ‘Desert Songs,’ Hultén turns to Plantwave, a small device that translates biodata from organic material into MIDI sounds, to dig into the tunes of cacti. He explains that the plants act as variable resistors, so what his sound machine records and plays are the tiny changes in the electrical current of the test plants.

He used cacti for the project for their ‘very sparse and sporadic activity,’ which might indicate that the more movement a plant makes, the louder, sharper, and even snappier the sound might come out.

plugging the device into the thorns

mimicking chloroplasts under microscope

For Desert Songs, Love Hultén plants a whole cacti garden into the sound machine box. Equipped with a circular screen injected in a tube TV-esque box, the images flashed on the display seem to come from the current that the plant device detects. ‘The cacti garden includes a few different specimens hooked up to probes, and outputs for individual plants can be changed as you go using patch points upfront,’ says the audiovisual artist.

The result looks like a science experiment that students will have fun testing out. To complete the biolab environment look, Hultén even made a custom MIDI visualizer to mimic chloroplasts under microscope. For MIDI buffs out there, the audiovisual artist says that the signals are sent to a Korg NTS-1 for simple waveshaping and then drenched in atmosphere using the Microcosm from Hologram Electronics. For the others, wondering about what cacti sound like might have been finally answered (and eerily, just to add).

close-up view

project info:

name: Desert Songs

audiovisual: Love Hultén

device: Plantwave

The post listen to love hultén’s cacti make haunting sounds from biodata appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

the soundscapes of the science fiction movies lull its audience into a state of euphoric trance, a realm where reality and fiction blurs. ecstasy pumps out of the space-like hums and vibrations of lyrics-less music and ushers listeners into the universe of daydreaming. such a state of self and mind may be experienced in TE-LAB, a sound machine that churns out sounds influenced by futuristic undertones.

audiovisual artist and a swedish craftsman love hultén, the creator of TE-LAB, identifies his works as a fusion of traditional craftsmanship with modern technology to create unique objects in an unexpected merge of form and function. specializing in creating one-of-a-kind exclusive objects, he offers the client a genuine and personal experience. everything is crafted, polished, and assembled by hultén in his one-man studio located in gothenburg, sweden, including TE-LAB.

images courtesy of love hultén

cyberpunk and synthwave

teenage engineering, a company whose products range from synthesizers to audio systems, sent the swedish artist some remnants from their production and instead of throwing them away, hultén accepted and transformed them into a portable noise lab machine that seems to have a wooden look. from there, he built a custom-made turntable sequencer and crafted his microcosm which he sourced from hologram electronics. the result reminisces cyberpunk, 90s synth-wave tones that complement a midnight ride in a deserted road and lights-filled city.

closed-up view of the sequencer

influence from a musician

in an exchange on instagram, lomond campbell, a musician and hultén’s influence for TE-LAB, commented ‘amazing! did you take inspiration from my turntable sequencer? if so I’m honored. beautiful implementation of the concept.’ hultén affirmed his question and thanked the musician for the concept he had put out first. in his previous works, hultén has always turned to the forgotten, if not neglected, technology in the past and resurrected them by toying with the design, sound, and mechanisms including mini-arcade machines. 

wood-like modules

the sequencer produces sci-fi soundscapes

a still from the video clip

a closed-up view of the sequencer

tweaking the sounds

the modules and custom-built sequencer

project info:

name: TE-LAB

designer: love hultén

The post sound machine TE-LAB is a custom-built sequencer made from wood-like modules appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

images courtesy of love hultén

called marble machine XS, this music instrument by love hultén is powered by a battery — in comparison to the original one that is hand-crank — and creates sounds by moving steel marbles through the machine into multiple feeder tubes. once released from height via programmable release gates, the marbles strike the previously-programmed sounding elements below creating the music.

‘MMXS is a tribute to martin molin and a miniature homage to his ongoing music project marble machine X,’ comments love hultén on his webpage. ‘the programming wheel design of MMXS imitates molins original, but instead of tactile interaction and acoustic elements – MMXS relies on a DC motor for mechanics combined with sounds generated by a synthesizer(axoloti core). MMXS is battery powered and features 16 notes, 128 programming bars, 10 different sound presets, speed control, volume and a built-in speaker. the finish of the machine is inspired by older meccano toy sets. dimensions are 50x20x20cm.’

project info:

name: MMXS – marble machine XS

creator: love hultén

type: marble music machine

The post love hultén’s marble machine XS makes music as mini marbles systematically drop appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.