London based designer John Tree and Santa Barbara aluminium specialist (and long-term Wallpaper* collaborator) Alex Rasmussen of Neal Feay have joined forces to create the Light Touch Turntable.
The pair drew from their individual experiences with sound technology (Rasmussen as manufacturer of high end hi fi aluminium components, and Tree as a designer at Sony) to create the turntable. ‘[Working at Sony] gave me exposure to a lot of advanced tech and a specialism in bringing it to the market in a relevant way,’ says Tree, whose experience also includes working as a designer at Jasper Morrison’s studio. ‘Often new technology requires a familiar reference, which is something this project explores.’
The Light Touch Turntable by John Tree and Neal Feay
The light touch turntable features sleek, minimal forms in dusty pink CNC cut, polished and anodised aluminium, created with a process called ‘Anofax’ invented by Rasmussen’s grandfather in the 1940s. ‘It’s like Willy Wonka for aluminium lovers, with incredible machining and finishing and creativity all under one roof,’ says Tree of the Neal Feay workshop.
An essential element of the design is an optical needle that doesn’t touch the record as it plays (a result of Tree’s own ‘scary’ experience with turntables, and the delicate interaction required to place the needle on the record without scratching it), with an automated arm that places itself over its surface. ‘I still wanted to provide the visual enjoyment of watching the record turn as the arm moves across the album - You can watch your music,’ explains Tree, noting that it was important for them to bring back the physicality that is now lacking in the way we consume music digitally.
The Light Touch turntable, by John Tree and Neal Feay, is on view at Milan Design Week 2024 as part of Blond Laboratory, 15 - 21 April
Via Palermo, 11
20121 Milano
johntree.net
nealfeay.com
blond.cc
-
Clocking on: the bedside analogue timepieces that won’t alarm your aestheticWe track down the only tick-tocks that matter, nine traditional alarm clocks that tell the time with minimum fuss and maximum visual impact
-
Architecture, sculpture and materials: female Lithuanian artists are celebrated in NîmesThe Carré d'Art in Nîmes, France, spotlights the work of Aleksandra Kasuba and Marija Olšauskaitė, as part of a nationwide celebration of Lithuanian culture
-
‘There is more work to be done in the garden’: Dries Van Noten on deciding to grow his burgeoning beauty lineFor Dries Van Noten, 2024 has been a landmark year. After stepping down from fashion in June, the designer speaks to Wallpaper* about a new focus on nurturing the brand’s beauty line and spending more time in his beloved garden
