#020 ☼ Vibrant Sounds: Jesper Kouthoofd (Teenage Engineering)
#020 ☼ Vibrant Sounds: Jesper Kouthoofd (Teenage Engineering)
Underwater Furniture • Finding Love • Futuristic Countryside House
ISSUE 020
Kuala Lumpur Jungle Fever
With tasting notes of playful audio gear, alternative creative advice, our new mixtape, pastel-coloured crystal fruit, finding love, underwater furniture and a futuristic countryside house.
The good life beckons once more!
CURATE WITH US
As winter blues drag on, take a moment to ponder…
What are your perfect ingredients for the best summer yet?
Let us know in the comments 💭
Further down in this issue, we’ll explore people living inspiring lives discussed last week!
Hot Hyperlinks
☼ Poolsuite Presents: Mixtape 15, an hour of summer with Tiger & Woods
☼ The dream house of iconic Y2K pioneer and designer Karim Rashid is a futuristic yet economical house in the countryside
☼ Carheads: Photographer Yusuke Hoshi documents Tokyo in motion by capturing vehicles in Japan
☼ Reversible Martini/Champagne glasses made from handblown glass by Daniel Nikolovski
☼ Are you ok? Generate an emotional reading using virtual measuring instruments based on your user behaviour by OKOK Services in collaboration with MPTY
☼ An essay on “how to find the coolest person you ever met” by Henrik Karlsson
☼ The “A’mare” furniture collection by Jacopo Foggini is an ode to the sea that mimics glistening water
☼ Devyn Ormsby makes crystal glass fruit in New Zealand perfect for adorning one’s home
☼ Rick Rubin discusses where great ideas come from and how musicians turn inspiration into beautiful songs
☼ Walead Beshty’s shattered sculptures made by using FedEx to ship glass boxes
SUMMER-ENHANCING PEOPLE
Vibrant Sounds: Jesper Kouthoofd
Unbeknownst to most, Jesper Kouthoofd is one of the most respected names in the creative world. One of the original founders of the renowned Acne Studios, Jesper now heads up Teenage Engineering, an experimental Swedish electronics brand. Its fans include Thom Yorke, Bon Iver and Swedish House Mafia to name just a few.
Maintaining a somewhat under-the-radar presence, there is limited material surrounding Jesper and his ideas. What he does have to say, however, is thoroughly worth it.
Highlights
Poolsuite Picks: Cult favourite OP-1 Field, OD-11 Wireless Stereo Loudspeaker, the Teenage Engineering Choir
On irreverent parents: “They taught me that you don’t have to be in the system, but you can create your own, so I feel like I’m more like an English sheepdog or better, the director of my own fancy. I maintained the same attitude growing up, and I continue to do so, always trying to push people to be brave and do the things they want to do, just like my mentors did with me.”
On creating at his own speed: “Right now, there is a certain cultural fascination with fast growth, IPOs and so on, but I want to go slow, really slow and think long-term. It takes time to do good things. You see, this cultural phenomenon of speed and growth at all costs is displayed in every startup, they all look the same, it’s like fast food: it looks good, its taste it’s consistent but then you feel horrible afterwards.”
A conversation between Jesper and Tom Howard, the founding partners of the company Nothing which aims to remove the barriers between people and technology. Check out one of their offerings simply called “Phone”
On constraints: “With any kind of creative work you start disabling as much as possible and narrow it down only to the necessary tools you need, and from there start making the work. That’s what I believe makes you super creative.”
On cultivating a perspective: “I love to reference other cultures and I always tell my designers that you can’t control your output, you can only control the input. That’s why it’s so important to gather inspiration, read interesting books and explore subjects outside your profession, that’s what makes you able to create interesting things in your profession.”
The pocket-size Bluetooth speaker in collaboration with IKEA. See the deck about modular music here
On creative work over revenue: “I always planned to live in a one-room apartment without any money. I don’t want to be connected to any material stuff. I like things because it’s an experience; I can be materialistic in that way, for instance, I can buy an expensive car just to explore how it is to drive it but then for me it’s more the learning process that I like and so I don’t fear. I think that’s my only strength, I am not afraid of failing and of being poor but of course, it’s not fun. I feel like money is just a tool to do the things I like. I actually have this goal to do my best work when I’m 75. So right now I’m still learning, I’m a total novice, and when I reach that point I should be able to work on a masterpiece.”
On his job title: “I never set out to start companies, I see it more like putting together a band and that’s the thing we create and hopefully, we’ll be recognised for that thing that stands for good quality […] I could call myself a ”serial creative”. I want to work in the same way, with the same process and find a couple of people along the way to play with.”
COMMUNITY CURATED: INSPIRING LIVES
Last week, we shared people living inspiring lives. Check out the comment section for a full debrief, but here’s a contribution that stood out:
Anyone who isn't afraid to live life on their own terms. We've all got something we're naturally drawn to; having the courage to go all-in on that specific endeavour to make it a "job" is a commendable feat. If you're reading this and have been contemplating such a decision? Do it! There's nothing worse than regret; do what future you would be proud of 🥂
— via ROCKY
Hop in the comments this week as we discuss your perfect ingredients for the best summer yet.
SUMMER-ENHANCING ART
EXHIBIT A: Portrait of an Artist by David Hockney • EXHIBIT B: 40 euro Negroni by Evie O’Connor • EXHIBIT C: Untitled by Camilla Engstrom
JOIN US
🌴 Tune in to our ultra-summer radio, Poolsuite FM, on iPhone & web
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🌴 Discover our Hour of Summer mixtapes on SoundCloud
🌴 Say hey, or drop leisurely content you’ve discovered in the comments below!
Having no idea what day it is. Waking up early. Coffee for pleasure. The warmth of sun on your skin. Mopeds and car rides, landscapes and great music. Seafood. Cold ocean. Late night chats. Linen and light clothes. Lots of seasonal fruit. Al fresco dining and gatherings spilling onto the streets. Always finding grains of sand. How it's light outside for a very long time. The smell of Vacation sunscreen. Picnics from farmers' markets and coastal day trips. A great cocktail. The way the colours come out in film photos. Spontaneous parties with new and old faces. A paperback book. Rarely needing a jacket. Dancing on tabletops. A renewed sense of possibility... Ok, I really love summer.
Perfect ingredients for the best summer:
• An assortment of one-way plane tickets purchased in a lambrusco-fueled stupor
• The Ritz-Foyer channel on in the background, a print copy of the latest Palm Report in hand
• A rum & coconut water cordial with an optional mdma float
• Warm feelings of anticipation knowing there's a multitude of Poolsuite parties on the not-so-distant horizon