Swedish audiovisual artist Love Hultén has combined nostalgic and new references to create his MDLR-37 synthesiser, which folds up similarly to an old-fashioned toolbox.
The latest in Hultén's long line of one-off machines, which include arcade game cabinets and portable game consoles, the MDLR-37 is a synthesiser in four semi-modular sections enclosed in a painted wood case.
The MDLR-37 features panels of American walnut wood in a painted ash case
It was made for a client who wanted a portable set-up combining his favourite synth gear. Hultén took inspiration from vintage fold-out toolboxes to make it easy to carry, with the audio equipment becoming the "tools".
"I fuse traditional craftsmanship with modern tech to create unique objects in an unexpected merge of form and function," Hultén told Dezeen. Its design was informed by an old-fashioned toolbox
"My designs are usually based on something I've come across recently, an interesting object, could be anything really ? anything that sparks my imagination," he added.
"I scour my mind for a function, a purpose that could connect with my visual idea in an interesting or unexpected way," he continued. "When I've found a good mix between usability and aesthetics, it's a go."
The MDLR-37 folds up into a portable case
The MDLR-37 is made of panels of American walnut wood studded with bright yellow dials, all encased in a body of grey-painted ash.
There is a 37-note keybed on ...