Strange, wonderful #808day creations from Japan — and a DIY D-Beam!

Our friends in the TR-808’s native country, Japan, never cease to honor the drum machine’s holiday in creative ways. So here’s this year’s haul from 808 Day (August 8), 2026.

AudioWanderer noise maker is a glitchy, gorgeous, mysterious gem

You press a button to set it in motion, and from there, it’s anyone’s guess. The screen just makes glitchy patterns at you. The knobs and buttons do… something. Pressing the screen resets. But once it’s connected, the AW noise maker opens a wormhole to warped realms of sound.

Peter Kirn - June 10, 2026

This is a bound book you can build into a complete modular system

Like something out of a (nerdy) magician’s library, Build Your Own Modular is a physical, ring-bound book that transforms into a complete Eurorack modular system. It’s both a printed instructional document and the thing you’re building — all in one.

Peter Kirn - December 17, 2024

Finally, a silly synth so small you could swallow it (but please don’t)

Peter Kirn - December 19, 2023

Playing the space of Kraftwerk: Rabon Aibo’s sound art at Atonal

Peter Kirn - September 14, 2023

bela Gliss: expressive touch meets computation in crowd-backed Eurorack module

Peter Kirn - December 8, 2022

The Insolventunclesam is a synth about printing money, by Gijs Gieskes

Peter Kirn - July 27, 2021

Make a DIY velocity-sensitive e-drum kit with Brian Bamanya aka Afrorack

Peter Kirn - July 26, 2021

Build smart, custom mechanical keyboards for MIDI – or really tiny Ableton Live control

Peter Kirn - July 9, 2021