Harps with flowers that bloom and more fanciful creations of Monique Evette

If you don’t know her work, computer scientist Monique “Evette” Byars has built spectacular, animated instruments, merging digital modeling and fabrication techniques. Flowers bloom. Guitars are reimagined as koi ponds. Sounds get transformed into wearable resin structures. It’s enough to make you want to up your airbrush, math, and science games.

Owen Lake and the Tragic Loves have the cutest dinosaur music video

Owen Lake is back — the alias of Jeff Snyder, who in these parts is best known for Snyderphonics, MPE innovator and Manta creator (of Princeton University). Here, we get twee-and-western, electro-country tunes with Anica Mrose Rissi that charmingly stick in your head, played partly on instruments Jeff invented, Electrosteel and Electrobass. And there’s a music video with dinos!

Peter Kirn - July 28, 2026

“Deep calm”: Roland Mood Pan is a digital handpan

Sometimes, Roland gives us predictable things. Sometimes, the company decides to digitize the handpan for an electronic hand percussion instrument that can also make gamelan and singing bowl sounds, pretty environmental noises, and function as a Bluetooth speaker.

Peter Kirn - June 27, 2025

Here it is, a cover of Kendrick Lamar and more awesomeness for the Otamatone

Peter Kirn - February 14, 2025

Three speculative designs on white pedestals with a white background. A quipu-powered drum machine with knotted pieces of rope, a viola da gamba with a hollow body and amplification, and a skull-and-bone horn.

Imagining an alternate history of music instruments, quipu to skulls

Peter Kirn - November 20, 2024

Suzuki is re-releasing the electronic autoharp Omnichord to celebrate its 70th anniversary

Peter Kirn - March 28, 2023

Superbooth: SOMA Labs shows off microtonal TERRA synthesizer, packed with sensors

Peter Kirn - May 5, 2022

The Guthman competition is looking for futuristic instruments – and you can apply

Peter Kirn - September 2, 2020