DIY + Unusual Gear Music tech Tech
A patchable solar-powered synth with a speaker; birds, hot dogs, and more
What a strange and wonderful bird this is: the Forever Grouse from MONAD comes with its own loudspeaker, banana plugs for patching, and solar panels for power. But maybe you’d rather watch a film about a heron. Or music with some hot dogs. Or set fire to electronics under an interstate overpass. Come along.
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Inside Kyiv’s hackerspace, a growing DIY synth and experimental noise scene
Despite bombing, drone attacks, and sleepless nights, Kyiv continues to support a burgeoning experimentalism in sound, driven by an appetite for noise and engineering. And it’s bringing more people into that community. Here’s a look inside.
Peter Kirn - October 16, 2025
DIY + Unusual Gear Modular-Analog Music Music tech Tech
That time Kraftwerk invented electronic drum pads and made ethereal sounds
Wolfgang Flür left a string of technological innovations, but if you need a moment of sublime chill in a chaotic world, look no further to the pastoral sounds that accompanied what was arguably the first electronic drum kit.
Peter Kirn - December 26, 2023
DIY + Unusual Music Music tech Tech
Dreadbox’s new 200€ Dysmetria kit is an insane amount of analog groove fun
Peter Kirn - May 16, 2022
Music tech Tech
If you’re willing to void your warranty, you can make Erica’s Pico DSP run some epic effects
Peter Kirn - September 9, 2021
Gear Modular-Analog Tech
