Beech dolls listening to the otherworldly “choir” of Youth Engineering – Huge
Stockholm-based electronics company Teenage Engineering has introduced a quirky and fascinating new lineup for its audio system choice. The choir, a series of connectable digital speakers, is one-eighth of the eclectic of sweet, robotic, woody characters.
Each Beachwood figurine has eight unique designs, with its own range of sound. For example, Olga is a “Russian opposition” shaped like a nesting Matryoshka doll. Bogdan is bass and wears a bulky hat. Miki, who represents Japan, is the tenor. Each member of the International Choir has an internal speaker that can run for three to four hours in a row and can be associated with up to 15 other choir singers via BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy).
The choir can perform pre-recorded works or, with the assistance of a MIDI keyboard linked through a BLE, bring the original tune out of the original tune. The effect is an incredibly seductive audio that sways between human and digital sounds.
For composer Rob Simonsen whale,,,,, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and Deadpool & Wolverine-Among many others – the choir is a welcome to his latest project, Ellio. Disney and Pixar’s latest films are made in space, and Simonson seeks something different from the traditional band to really make otherworldly elements stand out. After watching the choir’s video demonstration, he knew it was perfectly appropriate. He said:
We are looking for an otherworldly sound-soundingly relevant, which echoes the voices (and) communication that humans can understand, but feels like another world. I met these choir dolls and heard them. It’s pretty-cyborg, but human. Each body is handmade. They also have robotic but organic sounds. It feels like the perfect answer to what we want.
Choir members can buy it for $249 in Teenage Engineering’s online store, or the full set is $1,992. (via Kottke)
