New Skin-Reactive Analog Synthesizer Taps Into Users’ “Inner Energy”

For great musicians, their instruments become extensions of their bodies, acting as a conduit for creative expression. A new analog synthesizer from SOMA Laboratory seeks to do the same, applying this mind-body connection to electronic music.

Blending together “inner” and “energy,” the ENNER synthesizer is described as a “body-patching synth” that connects a player’s emotional state to its metal pads through weak electrical currents. Its sounds are deeply sensitive to human touch, dependent on the pressure, speed and angle with which a performer uses the device.

“Your hands become the central part of the circuitry,” the synth’s description reads. “Signals (passing) through your body define the mixing, volume, timbre, feedback and other parameters of synthesis.” 

ENNER was inspired by Danish sound-artist SiSTOR, who developed the device with LYRA-8 creator Vlad Kreimer. Its features include fixed frequency filters, a five-voice synthesizer, an output of static pink noise and a modulated stereo delay. It also has a piezo pickup on its front panel, which can capture a user’s voice.

If you’re interested in getting your hands on an ENNER, you can reach out directly to SOMA Laboratory to request the product. It costs an estimated €440.