So let’s not forget the true meaning of Sunday — OK Go in a super-hacked Chevy Sonic, playing 288 guitars, 55 pianos, and 1,157 homemade instruments while Damian acts as a stunt driver. (He took lessons.) It’s truly the little things that are meaningful.

Polish artist Odaibe created Portrait of the Ghost Drummer to explore the graphic qualities involved in playing on a drum kit. “Besides being a musician, a drummer when playing is unconsciously engaged in an elaborate choreography,” explains Odaibe. “The drum sticks are the extensions of drummer’s hands like a brush is an extension of the painter’s hand.”

Director Keith Warner and stage designer David Fielding have chosen “The Death of Marat”, an iconic painting by the revolutionary artist Jacques-Louis David, as the inspiration and symbol of their staging of André Chénier.

It is the first time that a historical painting has served as the basis for a Bregenz stage set, which towers 24 metres high above Lake Constance. The famous image shows the radical revolutionary leader Jean Paul Marat after being stabbed in his bath tub by a political opponent in 1793.

‘I’ve always been interested in sound. One thing led to another, and I just wanted a room to experiment with sound. I finally got a room, and then I needed an engineer. I got an engineer, and then I started experimenting. Working with Angelo Badalamenti, I always say Angelo brought me into the world of music. And the experimenting… sound is so beautiful. There are sounds that approach music, and then there is music. I started playing a guitar – the first time I played guitar was just to make a sound effect. I’m not really a guitar player. But it kind of thrilled my soul to be making something that sounded like music. I just got deeper and deeper into it. ‘

Via [Rolling Stones]

The Sound Tree is the creation of designers Maurizio Galante and Tal Lancman for Elipson, commissioned by Jean Yves Le Porcher, Creative Director for the brand. They have delivered their vision of Elipson’s iconic, spherical Planet speakers. This collaboration gave rise to the Sound Tree, a musical tree sculpture designed for exceptional spaces.

The trunk-shaped base contains the subwoofer, while the cables spread from the base to the ceiling, like branches. Each of the round fruits is actually a speaker. Standing under the tree, we are thus surrounded by sound, like being at the heart of a musical cocoon.

The creators say:
Whereas a lot of speakers are constructed to produce a rather fat bass and sharp high tones, we felt the sound was kind of stuck inside the speakers, missing a natural vibe and ambiance. During the development of the ‘the natural speaker’ we discovered the great properties of porcelain as a speaker casing, providing a clear resonance and mellow sound.
Amplified inside the ceramic and wood transmission construction, the sound gains a slight echo, creating a natural feeling of resonance, resembling the distinct flair of an acoustic instrument right in front of you.
Each set of pieces is individually crafted by hand and each procelain casing checked for best amplifying performance.
If you value a balanced midtone sound and a speaker with a ‘feeling’ for your music, you will surely enjoy the ‘the natural speaker’.”

Joon&Jun Studio
Via [Freshome]

RAAD Studio has created the Stereo Cabinet, an exquisite alternative to the bulky eyesore of your average stereo system. The Cabinet is fitted with high-end speakers, provides storage for your stereo and stands alone as a sophisticated, sculptured furniture piece. The Stereo Cabinet conceals all audio equipment and unsightly wires in one, elegant, credenza unit.

Michael Petermann, a classically trained musician and conductor, has put together an ingenious musical ‘orchestra’ made entirely out of vintage electric appliances. ‘The Stupid Orchestra‘ is made out of mixers, vacuum cleaners and washing machines, all built between 1940 and 1975. Performing every hour on the hour at the MKG Hamburg until April 30th, the orchestra runs on an electronic control system of Petermann’s design, meaning Petermann doesn’t have to conduct his electrical orchestra himself.

Blödes Orchester from white tube on Vimeo.

Havana Club has launched a competition called Inspired Ingenuity which is to divert from their use of everyday objects. The English artist Alex Nash is one of three sponsors of this contest. He has created this s pair of Nike Air Force 1 entirely customized into a double loudspeaker.

Via [Core77]

La Boite concept, LD 120 official video from La Boite Concept on Vimeo.

Via [Bedzine]

Matt Glassmeyer