Stockholm-based Teenage Engineering are the "punks" of the pro-audio world. Founded in 2005 by Jesper Kouthoofd (director and designer), the company proved that serious music gear doesn't have to look like a boring black box from a lab. Their philosophy is brutal minimalism combined with the childlike joy of discovery. You won't find thick manuals here—their instruments, like the cult OP-1, are designed to inspire through limitations and force creativity, rather than paralyzing you with endless options.

The aforementioned OP-1 (and its new version, the OP-1 Field) is arguably the most controversial and beloved synthesizer of the 21st century. It looks like a toy from the 80s, has colorful knobs and an AMOLED screen, but inside it hides a powerful workstation: sampler, synthesizer, FM radio, and a 4-track tape recorder. Everyone from Swedish House Mafia to Jean-Michel Jarre has used it, treating it as a "sketchpad" that can be taken on a plane, to the park, or to bed. It's an instrument that reminds us that music is, above all, fun.

But Teenage Engineering is more than just the OP-1. At Wired Tunes, we offer their entire ecosystem, including the Pocket Operator series (calculator-sized synths without a case), the OD-11 designer speakers (a tribute to 70s Swedish design), and the ultra-mobile TX-6 mixer, which fits in your palm but has the specs of a large console. By choosing TE, you choose design that ends up in modern art museums and functionality that lets you create music in places you never thought possible.