Industrial designer Jorge Paez describes his creative process as one driven by a “professional daydreamer’s perspective.” If so, his mind must harbor a great degree of appreciation for the architectural alongside aspirations of an audiophile in equal measure, noting the design of his contemporary interpretation of the classic record player, RYTM, which references both with imaginative clarity.
At first the RYTM’s vertical slat arrangement seems merely an aesthetic motif. Then you may notice there’s no tonearm, when in reality the component is slyly integrated into the turntable’s linear arrangement, designed to pop-out when playback is desired. Additionally, a trio of user controls are nestled between the slats to the right of the integrated tone arm, dedicated to powering on/off, adjusting the volume, and choosing between 33/45 rpm speeds.
A hint of red punctuates the industrial-inspired modernity of the RYTM across the turntable tonearm’s counterbalance and across the turntable’s on/off switch.
Unsurprisingly, Dieter Rams’ iconic 1957 Braun SK4/1 turntable is cited as an inspiration, exhibiting a similar linear simplicity as its design classic predecessor. Additionally, Paez lists the Stripes, Rhythm, Direction: Exhibit and graphic design by Stockholm Design Lab for Nordiska museet, the Hermès exhibit from Milan Design Week 2022, and the lines/colors of the Messe Frankfurt cargo center as other sources referenced by his turntable concept.
Before you begin counting your pennies in hopes of purchasing a RYTM for your own listening setup, note the turntable was designed by Paez as a personal project, meaning the architecturally-inspired record player only exists as a concept for now.