Swiss non-profit SMEM (The Swiss Museum & Center for Electronic Music Instruments) has launched a Kickstarter to raise funds to create The Playroom, a place dedicated to learning about and playing with classic electronic music instruments.
Here’s what they have to say about it:
The Playroom will be a beautiful open space created for people to take advantage of the huge SMEM (Swiss Museum & Center for Electronic Music Instruments) collection. Here we’ll also host lectures, workshops, classes, and more. And for a hands-on experience, The Playroom can be rented for private recordings, events, and parties.
We believe that the best way to share such an unparalleled collection is through experiencing it firsthand.
In fact, many local and international musicians like Yello, Sophie Hunger, Hinako Omori, Timber Timbre, Legowelt, Alienata, Franz Treichler from the Young Gods and more have already visited our collection. They have all agreed with our approach: the collection has to be usable. That’s why we need The Playroom.
See the project site to find out more about the project and options for supporting it.
I was fortunate to have recently been given a tour of the SMEM collection… it is simply amazing.
Definitely a worthy cause and just another reason to visit switzerland
I’d love to visit, mind if I bring my friend MPC live? We’ll melt some hours away very quickly
While I like the idea I have to wonder how practical is it really going to be. While many will act responsible around such a collection, just as many or more, will not show the same respect and will banging on the delicate equipment. I hope the budget includes plenty of money for maintenance and replacement
Wow! Sounds like an issue no one will have considered and impossible to address!
Whats the point I know a scam when I see one .
Who really benefits from this , someone who has not been seen yet another wannabe EDM producer somewhere.
Don’t bite the apple . The music belongs to the people not a Museum .
That is the point of building the “playroom”, so people can use (and sample 😉 ) these instruments
Who benefits from this? Simply EVERYBODY who wants to record some old synths in one of the wolds most epic synth collection FOR FREE. This Museum belongs to the people already, so I don’t get your point.
Yes so now all you have to do is give every electronic artis and bedroom producer a round trip ticket to Switzerland .
You can start in the Black slums of Detroit USA where the people who invented Techno come from then to Chicago , New York , LA , Jersey , Philly where the people who invented EDM and House come from . You know these are the people who made the 909 808 101 Juno etc..synths popular and kept the touch burning for electronic sounds while you all was asleep .
So now who’s gonna benefit to contribute to a place that they will never visit , mostly Euro kids .
But the music you just mentioned wouldn’t have happened or at least sound like that way if not for artists and bands from Europe. Kraftwerk, J-M Jarre, Giorgio Moroder, TD, Depeche Mode, Front 242, Human League, Cabaret Voltaire just to name a few, all have influenced various styles of electronic music.
Why where these 909s etc ending up in the hands of these guys/gals hands? Because they where cheap. I doubt these expensive rareties would end up at some poor kids collection anyway. They would most likely end up in some rich hipsters house. So now a maybe a poor swiss kid can be inspired by these instruments rather than ending up at some hipsters pad in Portland.
I live 50km away from the SMEM and i’ve never heard of it… 🙂
Vote for me and all your wildest dreams will come true .
I dont think we should vote for you, don’t feed the troll!!
Where on earth do you get to rent the exhibits of a museum? I understand that such a museum of hard to finance, nevertheless I think the playroom idea is bad, because the museum should be targeted at normal visitors and not leave them with the impression of being second class. They shouldn’t rent the synths to second rate musicians but pitch the idea to first rate ones and ask them to donate gear and that would bring more people to their museum. Even anonymous musicians, like myself, would rather donate their gear then seeing it ending up on eBay or in the trash after they’re gone.
hello people, there’s not much to complain about when there’s a beautiful woman talking about synths and inviting everyone to come test drive the legendary gear we all dream of having. this glass is half full guys.