Tag Archives: Love Hultén

The “Willy Wonka” of musical instruments created this oddly appealing portable MIDI guitar

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Nobody has destroyed, rebuilt, and reimagined the notion of synthesizers as much as Love Hultén. The maverick synth-maker is credited with designing some of the most incredible-looking electronic music machines out there (we’ve covered a fair few), from synths and loopers to modular electro units and even some record players and arcade games on the side. The Sweden-based music aficionado and synth-builder kicked off 2024 with a new project in collaboration with ‘catbeats’. Although this particular device doesn’t have a name yet, Hultén mentioned that it’s a unique-looking MIDI guitar that has a NESpoly synth on the inside, and a detachable fretboard that makes the entire apparatus easy to travel with.

Designer: Love Hultén

The unconventional design of the MIDI instrument is just about as much of a hat top to a guitar as possible. It does have a fretboard that triggers notes, and a dedicated strumming section for chords and such, but you’ve also got a variety of knobs and buttons that loop, modulate, play/pause, and increase/decrease the gain of what you’re playing.

The entire design can be disassembled for travel, and features a few quirky details made specifically for the user. Given catbeats’ obsession with felines, the guitar has a cat avatar in the bottom corner underneath a removable clear dome. Reminiscent of those cat backpacks that have the pet behind a clear plastic structure, the dome can be removed to access the tiny avatar underneath, and the avatar is made to be replaceable too, allowing you to swap out cats based on mood. Hultén also details that the guitar’s strap is made from ‘extraterrestrial skin’, although that’s just fancy wording given that the strap’s crafted from a clear flexible plastic sheet (or maybe aliens have better skincare than I do)…

MIDI guitars are unusual to come by, although if I did expect them, it would probably be from Hultén. The Gothenburg-based artist has worked on some rather unique and inspiring electronic products, from a circular Game Boy to a synth made from plastic dentures. Sure, this guitar doesn’t feature too high on Hultén’s weirdness scale, but it’s a remarkable representation of how his brain works.

Close-up view of the avatar area and the removable plastic dome.

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Love Hultén brick-inspired sound sculpture uses a bonsai tree to create sounds

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With the prevalence of electronic devices like smartphones and smart speakers, you might think that sound and music can only come from these objects. Of course, they are more medium than source, and there are plenty of things that generate audible audio waves even without the help of man-made contraptions. Nature, for example, has plenty of mystifying sounds that almost border on being musical, but there are also hidden ways that natural objects can produce sounds with a little help from technology. Using biological data and a bit of scientific creativity, one can even hear the “music” that plants make, such as this rather unique “sound sculpture” that makes a small bonsai tree sing its heart out in alien-like tones.

Designer: Love Hultén

To be clear, plants don’t make music, no matter how enchanting that concept might be. What artists, musicians, and designers are doing is to gather the subtle electrical signals generated by chemical changes in plants and interpret them as a series of tones generated by a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) device that hardly resembles a pleasing harmony. That said, even that straightforward process is enough to capture one’s curiosity and inspire a sense of wonder, even if it won’t win any music awards.

Tegel is one such artistic exploration in the translation of biological signals into audible sounds utilizing the popular bonsai tree. The choice of plant is almost poetic, given how this family of diminutive plants is often associated with meditation, calmness, and Zen. Ironically, the tones and beeps that are produced by this sound sculpture are hardly relaxing and are more like EDM for parties.

The small tree is housed inside a tall glass dome and is connected to an audio synthesizer via wires clipped onto its leaves. The plant acts more like a series of resistors rather than an actual sound source, and the sound sculpture incorporates dials to fine-tune the sound that comes out of it. There’s even a MIDI keyboard so that the user can add their own input to the mix.

What makes Tegel really special isn’t the process but the form that it comes in. Love Hultén has created quite a few of these contraptions that transform biodata into sound, but those really look the part of machines. In contrast, this sound sculpture is as much art as it is technology, inspired by the brick creations of Danish sculptor Per Kirkeby. It makes the bonsai tree a part of a miniaturized brick garden, creating a visual contrast of organic life and man-made structures working together to produce something akin to a miracle, that of pulling music out of a silent tree.

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Love Hultén’s latest custom synth build looks like something Darth Vader would commission

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“Something really dark and retro sci-fi” is what Hultén says his client wanted, and the Nostrx2 synth is precisely that. Designed keeping the interiors of the USCSS Nostromo spaceship from the 1979 Alien movie in mind, The Nostrx2 is built around the Syntrx2 from Erica Synths, albeit with a darker vibe. The custom build (which took a total of 12 weeks to put together) also features a modified LVX Meris modular delay system, an Analog Heat distortion filter, an all-black Arturia KeySteo 32-key MIDI Controller, and a monitor displaying glitchy visuals as you play from Critter & Guitari.

Designer: Love Hultén

It’s safe to say that Hultén’s turned custom synth-building into an art-form, creating some incredibly elaborate music-making art installations – some of them even with their own NFT visualizer. This particular build for a mystery client may be his darkest build yet, given that the Swedish audiovisual artist does tend to inject a sense of fun and whimsy into his creations.

The black and red colorway, combined with the boxy cabinets definitely gives the overall design a major Vader vibe, with elements looking almost like the panel on Vader’s chest. Combine that with the smoke and fog around the cabinet and it genuinely looks like the kind of synth you’d find on the Death Star!

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Love Hultén’s latest creation combines modular synthesis with internet pop culture

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With a visualization that has a cartoon head barfing out rainbows when you play music, Hultén’s Doodlestation is a wonderfully absurd synthesizer made for the modern age.

If you haven’t treated yourself to any of Love Hultén’s work, it’s definitely a ‘do no miss’ from us. The Sweden-based audiovisual artist and woodworking aficionado makes some incredibly eclectic synths and modular electronic instruments (even including one made from plastic dentures) using his unmatchable imagination along with synth-building and electrical skills. The Doodlestation is no different from his past creations in that regard, but purely on its own, it’s a rather fun instrument to play. For the most part Hultén combines existing instruments with custom enclosures and graphics, and the Doodlestation does it too. When you play a key or a set of keys together, a custom MIDI visualizer pops up on the screen in the form of a Nyan Cat-ish cartoon boy that barfs out rainbows. The rainbows, cleverly enough, take the shape of the waveform the synth is playing, going between sine, square, sawtooth, or triangle.

Designer: Love Hultén

The Doodlestation is a Frankenstein monster mashup of a Sequential OB-6 module, Moog DFAM, Hologram Microcosm, Theremin setup, and a Tape Echo, combined with Hultén’s custom visualizer and a custom keybed. The color combination seems pretty on-point considering the Frankenstein monster reference with an olive-green paint job, combined with a few colorful keys, plugs, and cables adding a bit of vibrance to an otherwise old-school-looking setup.

The name Doodlestation and the visualization come courtesy a partnership with Evan Keast, founder of the Doodles collection of NFTs. Hultén has made commissioned synths in the past and mentioned that this was a commissioned piece too, on his Instagram. The visualization is one of the key mascots of Evan’s Doodles NFT project.

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This custom-made circular Game Boy is an object of pure weirdness

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I don’t think anybody’s ever held a Game Boy and gone “Maybe this would be better as a circular device”. Sure, it would look cool, but the potential pros are heavily outweighed by the potential cons. Nevertheless, here we are with Love Hultén’s latest custom build, a weirdly circular Nintendo Game Boy that also comes with a circular display to match its body. At best, it’s weirdly fun, at worst it’s a usability nightmare, but then again, Hultén isn’t planning on selling this piece. It’s purely a custom build to flex his DIY skills and probably rile the internet up a little.

Designer: Love Hultén

From the looks of it, Hultén’s custom build was pretty much made from scratch and didn’t involve harming or hurting any existing Game Boys. Having extensively worked with circular displays (and even integrated a few into his custom-made synthesizers), Hultén managed to find a 5-inch IPS display he could spare for this build. The body looks like it was made from scratch, and the origin of those buttons could be anyone’s guess. Speaking of guessing, this custom Game Boy probably runs off an emulator fitted within its base. That also probably means all your games need to be sideloaded, and the circular Game Boy doesn’t have a slot at the back to input cartridges… although I wouldn’t put it past Hultén to actually make his own circular cartridges too!

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NES-SY37 synth project by Love Hultén is inspired by the retro gaming console

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Only real musicians can understand the beauty and benefits of synthesizers. Those who are not into music may only appreciate the cool sound effects when you press or play with the buttons. But if you are into electronic 80s or synth-pop music, you will love anything with synthesizers. Many may also be amazed at how a synth looks, especially if Love Hultén designs it.

There is a reason why this designer is always featured here. His creations always show retro-modern style and jaw-dropping craftsmanship. The last one we noted was the TE-LAB handcrafted sound machine. There was also that MIDI Synth designed in collaboration with digital artist Lirona. We remember a few memorable ones too like the EC1 modular synthesizer that can fold up and fit inside a slim wooden suitcase and the MDLR-37 foldable synthesizer that wowed us with its spring reverb and tape delay.

Designer: Love Hultén

Love Hulten NES-SY37 NES inspired Synth Project 2

The latest design is based on an old Nintendo Entertainment System, so this is another retro-modern creation. Officially called the NES-SY37, this is a conceptual synthesizer that will let you play synthesized music and old NES games. This thing accepts NES cartridges, and you can view the games on the 8-inch LCD screen with 800 x 600 resolution. You can control the game with the keys, but you can also use an old NES controller attached to the 7-pin port.

NES-SY37 NES inspired Synth Project Launch Love Hulten

The NES-SY37 is an NES-inspired synth project that pays homage to the old way of playing video games. Those who grew up playing NES will love this sound machine as it brings back memories of when we were young and carefree. It combines several components like an NES Poly Chiptune Synthesizer, real-time MIDI visualizer by p1xelfool, Twisted Electronics’ hapiNES L, and spring reverb.

The Swedish craftsman and audiovisual artist Love Hultén loves to capture the old and combine it with the new. When put into work, the results of his passion and talent are beautiful, unique projects that evoke feelings of nostalgia. One glance at this creation is enough for you to love Love Hulten once again.

NES-SY37 NES inspired Synth Project Information

The NES-SY37 is wooden with details based on the old gaming console. The red buttons and black D-pad are very NES-inspired. The synth part of this machine includes an 8-bit MIDI visualizer, a keyboard, NES Poly Chiptune Synthesizer, and a multi-track chip-tune synth. You can say this is more of a mod, but wow, it really is one quirky and awe-inspiring creation.

NES-SY37 NES inspired Synth Project Design

NES-SY37 NES inspired Synth Project Information

NES-SY37 NES inspired Synth Project Details

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Love Hultén’s latest synth comes with a 15-inch display that serves as a music-based NFT Visualizer

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Collaborating with digital artist Lirona over his latest synth creation, Love Hultén’s latest synth is an audiovisual treat. The MIDI Synth, handcrafted by Hultén, is paired with a 15-inch display that showcases Lirona’s digital work, titled #synthboi. Limited to 10 synths, each digital work is, in fact, an interactive NFT that the buyers get to own when they purchase the synthesizer.

Synthboi falls perfectly into Hultén’s portfolio of quirky, bizarre synths, with its odd human-shaped visualization that lights up as you play the tunes. The collaboration bridges the worlds of bespoke electronic instruments and NFTs, allowing music enthusiasts and collectors to also own their own one-of-a-kind non-fungible digital artworks along with their music instruments!

The synth features a 25-key MIDI keyboard that plugs via USB into an Intel NUC i5 computer that’s also connected to the circular 15-inch display on top. The electronics sit within handcrafted cabinets that boast of an alternative 90s Apple-esque design with terrazzo and matte metal materials. Each Synthboi ships in a wooden crate to its 10 owners, and comes marked on the back with a QR code linking to Dissrup’s website, which powers the NFT experience.

Designers: Love Hultén & Lirona

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This Custom Pac-Man Synthesizer Looks A-maze-ing

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You know what? I’m surprised that they never came up with a vaccine for Pac-Man Fever. I mean, I’ve had it for nearly four decades, and it’s not getting any better. I suppose if you’re still a Pac-Man fan like me, you might want something like this sweet Pac-Man-themed synthesizer by Swedish artist and vintage gadget fan Love Hultén.

The custom-built synthesizer is done up in a vibrant color scheme inspired by Namco’s classic maze game. The customized Korg Minilogue synth has Pac-Man yellow keys with orange sharps and flats. Its case has a Pac-Man logo and ghost artwork straight from the game’s original arcade cabinet, and there are other little details like cherries on the keyboard and a pair of blue ghosts with light-up eyes being chased by Pac-Man. Check it out in action and give it a listen in the video below:

Surprisingly, this isn’t the only Pac-Man synthesizer that Hultén has built. He also created a custom synth with a yellow case and blue keys, presumably on Opposite Day.

If you love the retro-modernist look of these pieces, be sure to check out Love’s Instagram page and website for more awesome custom electronic gear.

Love Hultén’s latest modular synthesizer folds up and fits inside a slim wooden suitcase

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Known for his quirky gadgets and oddly pleasing visual style, independent tinkerer and creator Love Hultén is back with his latest creation – a custom modular synth that fits entirely inside a wooden suitcase… legs, cables, and all.

Titled the EC1, the synth was commissioned by songwriter and producer Eren Cannata, and is a rather aesthetic mashup of a Roland JU-06A synth, the Cyclone Analogic TT-78 Beat Bot drum machine, the T-Rex Replicator tape delay, and the Boss Waza Dimension-C chorus pedal. Combined together like a sort of funky Frankenstein’s monster, the modules fit perfectly into the wooden housing designed by Hultén. With a two-part design, the EC1 opens apart into the keys at the bottom and the modules on top. It even comes with the steel legs tucked away inside the synth that let you set it up so you’re ready to jam in mere minutes. If you want to watch the EC1 in action, Hultén even takes it out for a spin in the video above!

Love Hultén EC1 Modular Synth

Love Hultén EC1 Modular Synth

Another one of Hultén’s oddly pleasing creations, the EC1 comes with an earthy color palette of an olive green panel and keys along with wooden knobs encased in a wooden cabinet that has the ability to fold down into a flat-pack case. The flat-pack synth is about as easy to assemble as a moderately challenging IKEA piece and comes with everything you’d need from legs to supports, and even the bolts you need to hold everything in place.

Love Hultén EC1 Modular Synth

Love Hultén EC1 Modular Synth

Love Hultén EC1 Modular Synth

Once assembled, the EC1 comes to life after you’ve plugged the decidedly retro coiled cables into the modules. The synth has its own set of stereo speakers built-in, and what looks like a strange glowing gemstone encased behind a glass window that definitely gives the synth a wonderfully steampunk aesthetic! Click here to check out more of Hultén’s work!

Designer: Love Hultén

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Love Hultén’s foldable synthesizer with a real tape delay and a spring reverb has us excited to create music!

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Artist Love Hultén is renowned for his new take on familiar instruments, and he is a master in this niche craft. His past creations are a testament to that fact. No wonder everyone wants to get their hands on Love’s creations – including me! His VOC-25 synthesizer is a good example, and now he the artist is back with another synthesizer all music creators will drool over. This is the MDLR-37 synthesizer made up of four sections that fold into a compact form factor for easy portability.

The hand-crafted musical instrument comprises a couple of Korg synthesizers – one is analog and the other a classy digital. To be exact, these are the Korg Minilogue and Korg microkey 37. The synth also includes a digital Synthesizer in pedal form – the Meris ENZO pedal. For effects, Love has fitted the rig with a T-Rex Replicator analog tape echo and the Doepfer A-199 spring reverb Eurorack modules. The latter has a real spring too. The large oscilloscope (most probably a magnifying glass over a small digital scope), wooden faceplates, actual tape delay, and a spring reverb make it a unique creation!

These instruments fit nicely into the foldable wooden case, which has the speakers and waveform display built-in. Though the synthesizer is foldable to stow anyway when not in use, would you actually want to do that since it’s an eye-candy piece for your studio or living room? However, the foldable function comes real handy when you’ve got to take it to the outdoors with you. Once again, Love has created a fun mod for all music composers out there – Vince Clarke will love to explore it, I’m sure!

Designer: Love Hultén