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Designed by Spanish designer Jorge Paez, it is not just a product but a harmonious blend of art and technology, impacting the way we interact with music
The RYTM record player by Jorge Paez offers a contemporary interpretation of the classic turntable, effortlessly fusing music’s rhythm with architectural aesthetics. Drawing inspiration from the synergy of music and the precision of architecture, it showcases a distinctive vertical slat configuration that harmoniously incorporates user controls, from the tonearm to the power switch.
Emerging from a personal passion, it caters to music lovers seeking a holistic experience that transcends the music itself. Its design is characterized by its cleanliness, essentiality, and emotional allure, positioning RYTM within a niche market of enthusiasts who crave immersive and functional products.
Drawn in by the high-quality design, which is a top-notch rendering, I asked the designer – Jorge Paez – a few questions to better understand what led him to focus on this type of product and the insights upon which he developed it.
Why did you create RYTM record player? What motivated you to redesign a product of this type?
Jorge Paez:
“I love music, especially the emotional bond we can create with it. For me, listening to music is a ritual. A moment I cherish to disconnect from the noise and connect with myself. RYTM was born out of my desire to elevate the ritual of music through our interactions with the physical world.
The perfect vessel for such a project would be the record player, because of its physical interaction with both music and user. RYTM elevates the ritual of music listening to enhance the experience.”
From your perspective, how does it enhance the performance compared to similar products?
Jorge Paez:
“When you’re designing a product that is a gateway for a ritual, that be music, coffee, or whatever you consider a ritual, good design and impeccable user experience are what make the difference. RYTM is built from fully recycled anodized aluminium, from its body to the buttons. This, together with high quality switches and sliders gives RYTM an elevated tactile experience.
The cherry on top is the hidden tone arm. When RYTM is off the tone arm blends seamlessly with the rest of the body, but once activated it rises automatically to allow the user to place it on the record. All of this enhances the user experience both through high quality tactile feedback and an element of magic, ultimately enhancing the ritual of music listening.”
Thinking about the end user, what benefits does RYTM record player bring?
Jorge Paez:
“The robot is a metaphor representing RYTM’s precise high quality nature. RYTM is ultimately a vessel or a bridge between people and music. The benefit RYTM brings is ultimately elevating the user experience making the ritual of music listening an even more appealing and impactful journey.
What I was looking for with RYTM was to enhance the interaction with the music but at the same time, be so simple and well built that it doesn’t disrupt the music listening experience. RYTM takes a step back when the music is playing.”
How did you reach the final design? What creative path did you follow to arrive at this point?
Jorge Paez:
“This project started out as a “quick” weekend project… a few weekends in it dawned on me that this was going to take a bit more than I thought. Because it was a personal project I allotted plenty of time for iterations, tons of sketching, back and forth from 2D to 3D CAD, prototyping, second guessing everything. The usual design process.
What this project truly became was a platform for me to improve my 3D renderings, something I didn’t have much confidence in. Just the renderings was a project in it of itself, I followed the same design precess, sketching out scenes, rough iterations and back to sketching until I had what I wanted to express.”
Regarding the Color, Material, and Finish (CMF) aspect, what approach did you utilize to tackle it?
Jorge Paez:
“Like I mentioned before, I wanted to create a high quality experience. The first materials that comes to mind is aluminum both for its weight and ecological impact. In order to protect the aluminum to guarantee longevity, I decided anodizing would be optimal because it strengthens the material without affecting recyclability.
To be honest, when it comes to color I usually default to a simple layout, one main color and one accent. In this case grey aluminum, and red accents that emphasize the important touch points. My next projects will venture further into color.”
Who is its target audience?
Jorge Paez:
“RYTM is for the music lover that truly appreciates the physical experience of music. It is for those who hold music to a high standard and make listening to it an active ritual.”
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