I originally discovered Love Hultén via his retro gaming console designs. Someone had sent me a post of his via Instagram and I was hooked! After following his account for quite some time and delving a little deeper, I became infatuated with his custom synthesizer casings, like the Carrier 37 and Prism 37, custom made wooden cases for the Korg Minilogue, a four-voice analog synthesizer.
Everything is produced, polished, and assembled by Hultén himself in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Synth History: How did Love Hultén start? Hultén: I attended a local school of design in 2010 and discovered the passion for woodworking. And as a young boy, I used to tear electronic toys apart trying to understand their insides. The raw materials found in the woodshop were a perfect complement to the electronic projects I’d been experimenting with since youth.
My first year, I started working on my first hardwood case. I believe it was a desktop computer. After that, I just went on, making tactile synthesizers, retro-inspired game consoles and other audiovisual contraptions that combine traditional craftsmanship with modern technology.
Synth History: Your designs have a very retro-futuristic feel. What are your aesthetic inspirations? Hultén: Dieter Rams "less is more" take on design has always been a big influence for me, but my style is generally based on an attraction for objects of mystique and the fiction worlds created by great illustrators such as Jan Lööf. Â
Synth History: What is the process like for designing the housing for retro games and synthesizers?
Hultén: My designs are usually based on something I've come across recently; an interesting object, a simple shape or a graphic illustration – anything that sparks my imagination. I then scour for function or a purpose that could connect with my visual idea in an interesting way. When I find a satisfactory mix between usability and aesthetics, it's a go!
I play a lot with values and standards, suggesting a different perspective on how to relate and interact with objects. I give objects new functions, new values. The smashed-up references in my work have a triggering effect on the viewer/customer, I guess. I want my audience to be enlightened – not just feel nostalgic. Nostalgia is involved to a certain extent, yes, but it's not looking backwards. It's taking steps in different directions simultaneously by using fragments from both past and today, creating unique and balanced objects.
Synth History: How long does one piece generally take to craft? Hultén: Hard to say, but a couple of weeks most likely. Some of my bigger more complex pieces could be months.