An ongoing collaboration with artist, musician and maker Halldór Eldjárn, focused on developing and building innovative, directional acoustic speakers from Icelandic materials.
These speakers were designed for musicians to be used in re-amping - a process where a sound is played through a speaker and recorded again with a microphone. This technique adds depth and texture to the original sound, capturing the unique characteristics of the speaker and its surrounding environment.
The shape of the speakers directly impacts how sound is projected into the surroundings, shaping the sound and giving it an acoustic feel. Unlike traditional speakers, the Inorganic Resonators do not have a typical speaker cone. Instead, the electromagnet inside generates sound by causing the entire body of the speaker to vibrate. This full-body vibration directs sound in a 360-degree pattern around the source, making the resonators ideal for re-amping. By adjusting the position of a microphone around the resonator, musicians can easily uncover new tonal colors.
The speakers are made from Icelandic woods, such as poplar and larch, and are inspired by traditional methods of crafting hollow-body guitars and violins, though their shapes are more unconventional. Each speaker is one-of-a-kind, with a new design created for every build, ensuring that both the craftsmanship and the sound produced by each resonator are unique.
The first batch of resonators were showcased at DesignMarch 2024.
Inorganic Resonators were nominated for Product of the year at the Icelandic Design Awards 2024.
From the jury:
Inorganic Resonators are directional acoustic speakers made from Icelandic materials. They combine unique craftsmanship and design that maximizes the nuances of sound. The speakers are extraordinary examples of the integration of Icelandic ingenuity, technology, and material to create a quality product. The designers, who are also musicians, possess knowledge and understanding of their clients, which is noticeable in the speakers’ modern appearance, texture, and function. The outlines of sound waves inspire their shape, and the material is flexible to the movement of sound in different environments. The manufacturing process is tailored to each inquiry, and each item is handmade. Inorganic Resonators are made in collaboration with Inorganic Audio, an Icelandic audio tech company that specializes in software for musicians.
Inorganic Resonators are directional acoustic speakers made from Icelandic materials. They combine unique craftsmanship and design that maximizes the nuances of sound. The speakers are extraordinary examples of the integration of Icelandic ingenuity, technology, and material to create a quality product. The designers, who are also musicians, possess knowledge and understanding of their clients, which is noticeable in the speakers’ modern appearance, texture, and function. The outlines of sound waves inspire their shape, and the material is flexible to the movement of sound in different environments. The manufacturing process is tailored to each inquiry, and each item is handmade. Inorganic Resonators are made in collaboration with Inorganic Audio, an Icelandic audio tech company that specializes in software for musicians.
The project is an ongoing collaboration with Icelandic startup Inorganic Audio which creates audio software for creative musicians. The project is supported by Iceland Design Fund.
