Download a book on Dutch electronic music history, Philips and beyond, free

Kees Tazelaar’s On the Threshold of Beauty is a wonderful plunge into the history of electronic music in the Netherlands, 1925-1965, including the Philips Pavilion and the World’s Fair, but a whole lot more. It’s free to download now — the perfect beach book if you’re a total nerd. (Welcome home.)

Flexur and Chill, with this Trautonium-inspired DIY synthesizer

I missed this when it dropped earlier this month — Synthtopia was there! But now is a perfect time to chill out to the smoothly gliding sounds of this original Trautonium-inspired synthesizer design in progress. Flexur can cool down an overheated Europe.

Peter Kirn - June 24, 2026

jumango made a synth you can tuck in so it goes to sleep

Soundmaking and music can fill you with energy, so much so that you might miss out on the importance of a good night’s sleep. jumango has engineered a solution: tuck this DIY synth into a blanket, and it falls asleep.

Peter Kirn - May 17, 2026