Teenage Engineering, the Swedish design and technology collective renowned for redefining the boundaries of music gear, is set to launch its newest instrument, the EP-40 drum machine and sequencer, with a week-long celebration in Jamaica from October 10 – 17.
The team behind this bold move is looking to resonate with music lovers and creatives in the birthplace of the reggae genre.
“At Teenage Engineering, our passion is building instruments that spark creativity and make music fun to create, no matter the genre. This time, the RIDDIM EP-40 was born from a deep inspiration in reggae, dancehall, and sound system culture. From the very beginning, Jamaica has been at the heart of this vision, because it is the birthplace of these sounds and the community that has carried them forward. We wanted to design a machine that captures that energy while staying true to its roots. By bringing it here, we connect directly with the people and culture that shaped the sound. We provide the technology, but the soul of the music will always belong to those who live it, the team said.
The EP-40 is the latest addition to Teenage Engineering’s innovative family of instruments, following the widely acclaimed EP-133 K.O. II and other genre-defining models.
Adding that the RIDDIM EP-40 offers other features besides being a drum machine or sequencer, the team explained that it is an instrument built for spontaneous creativity.
“It combines intuitive grid-loops with powerful effects directly inspired by reggae and dub. At its core is a sound bank created especially for this project, featuring over 400 brand new recordings of instruments, sounds, and loops contributed by legendary artists such as King Jammy, Mafia & Fluxy, Mighty Crown, Mad Professor, and more. On top of that, the EP-40 also includes a built-in synthesizer (supertone) with classic digital-era sounds and authentic dub sirens, giving producers the full spectrum of reggae’s sonic DNA,” the group explained.
“The RIDDIM EP-40 is professional and versatile, yet still easy to use and affordable. Producers can sync it with other gear, layer rhythms, and build full tracks, opening up new creative possibilities, a tool for producers to push reggae forward,” they said.
Come October, there are high hopes that the drum machine and sequencer will be received well.
“We hope that both the artists and producers we worked with during the development, and many new ones, will use and love the machine. If it inspires and helps reggae reach new people, then we’ve succeeded,” Teenage Engineering said.
