As the world becomes increasingly digital, the rise in vinyl sales continue to skyrocket, demonstrating that analog still has a cherished place for legions of music fans. Hi-fi set ups come in all shapes and forms — not to mention price points, often taking up large portions of a given room. But a new record player by Swedish industrial designer Oscar Olsson declutters the bulky equipment of a traditional turntable, in place of a wall-mounted unit that will add a sense of style to the home or office.
Like a gadget you'd see in a Star Wars interior, Disco Volante has retro-futuristic flair, showing aesthetic similarities to the work of Italian polymath Ettore Sottsass and German designer Dieter Rams. Constructed in black, orange, yellow or green coated aluminum, the "main driver of the design is the sharp contrast between the organic and vivid tonearm housing, and the rational and geometric metal framework,” Olsson explained, adding that this "separation makes it appear as though the tonearm housing is a separate instrument that plays the record.”
Records elegantly hover in space, as Olsson sought to condense the player to its core elements. “With Disco Volante I wanted to utilize each material’s unique properties, and by doing so letting them largely influence the form,” Olsson added. “It offers a rigid foundation for the turntable, meanwhile the molded, funky plastic tonearm housing plays the main role visually. The overall proportions and composition were also well thought out to aesthetically create a well-balanced architecture.”
Learn more about Disco Volante and Olsson's practice on the designer's website.
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