This digital, sampling Music Box creates a totally unique way to make music
XOXX is a music box that uses samples and magnets to create sounds in a whole new method of sampling and looping.
XOXX Composer is the name of this digital music box that connects up to your computer. Created by Royal Academy of the Arts student Axel Bluhme, XOXX allows you to apply samples and sounds to it’s 8 rotating discs and then through magnets add balls onto any of each disc’s 16 beats. This is a music box for the adults.
It may be fairly simple to use but the XOXX Composer features sophisticated technology that opens up whole new avenues to music making, and it looks pretty fun. It acts like a sequencer as you add the magnets on the specific step of your desire and choose the sounds you want from each disc.
Each disc has it’s own interface featuring a slider for volume and a knob which alters the pitch tuning. Interestingly the pitch tuning is the only built in “effect” of the XOXX. However as it connects to your computer via MIDI, so you can plug it into DAWs, you can of course control the sounds in more depth from your computer.
XOXX also comes with its own desktop app that features an “extensive sample library” and makes it easy to assign sounds to discs. You can also control the XOXX’s interface from your computer, though it’s a lot more boring tuning your samples way down with a mouse – spin that knob!
The XOXX isn’t available yet (I know, very sad) and there isn’t currently a set release date. However if you want to get your hands on one for your own you can sign up to be notified of its future from their website here: xoxxcomposer.axelbluhme.se
