Teenage Engineering has introduced what may be its most unusual audio product yet, the Teenage Engineering Choir, and it's a direct appeal to collective nostalgia. The Swedish tech company has made a name for itself over the last decade and a half with its unique approach to consumer electronics, particularly music production and audio gear. It continues to push the boundaries of its amorphous genre, experimenting with everything from ultra-portable synthesizers to craft beer.
It's been a busy year for Teenage Engineering (and its fans' wallets), at that. The company revealed the much-awaited successor to its OP-1 synth in May, the OP-1 Field, at an eye-watering price of $2,000 just weeks after dropping a new handheld field mixer, the TX-6. It also managed to squeeze in a flashy speaker collab with streetwear brand Off-White in honor of the latter's late founder, Virgil Abloh. Last fall, Teenage Engineering even debuted its own PC case, a compact, bright orange, aluminum design so striking it sold out in minutes.
The the most devoted audio enthusiasts. The dolls can be purchased individually at $249 apiece, but diehards will have to shell out $2,000 if they're after the full breadth of the choir experience.
Meet The Teenage Engineering Choir
Not only do they each hit a unique vocal range, but they have names and associated countries of inspiration. Carlo, for example, is a baritone from Italy, while Hatshepsut, a mezzo-soprano, is from Egypt. There's also Gisela (), another mezzo-soprano, Bogdan (Cossack, bass), Ivana (Netherlands, alto), Miki (Japan, tenor), Olga (Russia, contralto) and Leila (Palestine, soprano). They're operated with touch controls; a tap on the head will play or pause their singing, and tilting to either side will raise or lower the volume.
Were it not for their modern internal specs, the wooden dolls would seem to be a relic of a bygone era. It makes sense, then, that Teenage Engineering says they're an ode to the company's past. "The choir is inspired by the original Absolut Choir, our very first project," Teenage Engineering's website notes. Given the price tag, though, most fans may, unfortunately, be stuck window shopping this time around.
Source: Teenage Engineering