Elektron HQ pilgrimage

mishpult · 2022-04-14T17:55:24.184Z

So I’m in Gothenburg with my wife and kid for a couple of days during Easter. On day 2 my wife planned a tour of the hip neighborhood close to the river bank. I was all for it because I knew it’s an opportunity to knock on Elektron’s HQ doors and hopefully have a sneak peak. So here I am in this obscure industrial area under one of the steel bridges crossing the river. Red brick factory buildings all around, I barely managed to find the entrance as everything is low key, no outdoor signs whatsoever. In the 80’s era yellow elevator there’s only a subtle Elektron button and here I am ringing on the office door. Nobody answered and I was just about to head back as I suddenly heard steps from the floor underneath. One nice guy, baseball hat and a beard, came up surprised to find someone ringing on the door. Turned out that he was the only one left at the office just coming up to switch on the alarm and close for Easter. After a short exchange and silly excitement on my side, he was so kind to let me in for a bit and show me the floor where all the marketing people are sitting and where the hangout / studio area is. We had a short chat about the company, gear and synths in general. He also pointed through the window, showing where the assembly line area is. On the way out he insisted to give me something, so I ended up going home with a brand new Elektron backpack, an Elektron pouch, pack of cable ties and 2 amazing rare posters from the original launch of the monomachine and machinedrum boxes back in the day. Later I realized that, in the middle of my excitement, I didn’t even ask for the guy’s name, so if you are reading this, kind Elektron guy, thank you so much for making my day, for the goodies and for the real talk in general;)

Fin25 · 2022-04-14T17:59:04.508Z

No Syntakt news.

Is disappoint.

mishpult · 2022-04-14T18:00:09.939Z

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mishpult · 2022-04-14T18:09:12.417Z

I will only say that there was an area where he wouldn’t let me look. I was humble and didn’t even ask anything.

Fin25 · 2022-04-14T18:10:55.102Z

Can you imagine what might have happened if you’d said “Syntakt?” and winked at him?

asmartkid82 · 2022-04-14T18:34:54.108Z

All those presents just to distract him from the prototype over the table…

maymind_trax · 2022-04-14T19:16:14.391Z

Those posters look amazing. Wish they were still for sale. Congrats on the new swag! So generous of them.

AdamJay · 2022-04-14T19:19:29.605Z

I have that same backpack! It’s a great backpack for just about anything. Clothes, drum machines, groceries.

Fin25 · 2022-04-14T19:38:12.287Z

AdamJay:

Clothes, drum machines, groceries.

Good for them bread and butter sounds, yeah?

pidgeo · 2022-04-14T19:43:15.244Z

all of that is awesome
love the covert elevator button

goldfarb · 2022-04-14T20:55:02.878Z

haha…
I’d love it if he was a burglar and just improvised a cover

Stone262 · 2022-04-14T21:34:50.217Z

goldfarb:

I’d love it if he was a burglar and just improvised a cover

Oooh, but sort of like an elektron/synth reimagining of the 1st act of Les Miserables? After he gets caught with pilfered protoypes in the backpack and hauled before the kindly elektron employee who tells the fuzz they were a ‘gift’, then in alluring baritone closes the scene, singing “You must use these precious syntakts, to become an honest man”.

Kultschar · 2022-04-14T22:27:50.989Z

Cool

That Mono poster is ace!

sseemmii · 2022-04-15T01:05:03.799Z

This is very nice, it felt very good to Read this Thank you

Matthewsavant · 2022-04-15T03:02:47.373Z

That’s fucking awesome man! I don’t know if it’s just me but I always have this Willy wonka kind of vision of what the HQ of any of my favorite synth manufacturers would be like but that’s dope that he actually let you in especially since he was about to head out, that was really cool of him. And even nicer that he gave you some swag and good stuff too, the backpack is great and those posters are excellent. I love the MD one in particular.

mishpult · 2022-04-15T05:17:22.682Z

Well, have to tell you, as low key as it is from the outside, the interior was really inspiring - there was this plywood exhibition furniture from couple of years ago when they were at namm launching the Digitone, a huge wooden elektron logo on the wall, there was something like a recessed, amphitheater-like area to hangout and drink beer, a separate studio room with some keyboards and stuff. There was the occasional demo boxes scattered around the place and some stage equipment piled in the entrance area, probably from recent event or smth. I saw the orange Analog Solutions Fusebox standing by the window. What I saw was the top floor, more like the normal, office area. I was told that the engineers were at the bottom floor of the two, and we didn’t go there. All in all, as a graphic designer myself used to creative atmosphere at work, I found the place super inspiring, especially in tune with Gothenburg’s 19th century Scandinavian industrial vibe around the river bank. Myself living in Rotterdam before (Oslo now) we talked about gabba, industrial music and distorted kicks. I hope this gives you more detailed impression!

Matthewsavant · 2022-04-16T05:09:32.209Z

So sick dude, definitely would be a dream place to work. I used to work at Akai professional in QA and then as a Project manager a few years back but man I can’t imagine how good it would feel to be able to contribute to a company as interesting and inspiring as Elektron

pselodux · 2022-04-16T05:27:11.326Z

Nice one!

Ess and Olle showed me around the offices in 2018 and it was honestly a highlight of my trip. Talked demoscene with a few of the guys there and saw a little studio they were setting up full of some nice non-Elektron gear.

Much like your trip, there was some stuff they didn’t let me see, and made me stand outside a room while they covered up what I assumed were the Model:Samples prototypes

If you’re still there, go check out the botanical gardens nearby, very nice.

SKull · 2022-04-16T10:56:48.895Z

That’s the part where you slip a guy a discreet wad of cash

Analogue5 · 2022-04-16T14:30:32.768Z

I feel weird, thinking to myself how cool is that! As much as I enjoy Trent Reznor and his serious demeanor, I think of that Moog video he did, and yep. No matter how hard you can try and come off, you know your just a music geek.

Sounds like the way that should have gone down. Not sure your at the right place, some random stranger appears, and hooks you up like the coolest dude.

I really love that Machinedrum poster. I’d say that machinedrum poster was about what it was like when I first got the Octatrack. I was buzzing hard on it for like 5hrs straight when it arrived and up late, and crashed. And that image fits perfectly.

I remember an interview Cenk did where he was speaking about his early experiences with elektron and getting into using their instruments. I think it was when he went and bought the machinedrum he had come home and told his mom, ‘I really think this is the one.’