Swedish engineering meets Jamaican creativity - Alpha Boys’ School to make music magic with new equipment

Teenage Engineering, the Swedish design and technology collective renowned for redefining the boundaries of music gear, is launching its newest instrument, the EP-40 drum machine and sequencer, with a week-long celebration in Jamaica.

As part of the launch, Teen Engineering staff Rodrigo Pencheff, Marcus Price and Patrick Arve hosted a workshop at the Alpha Boy's School in Kingston yesterday, where students got hands-on access to the machine. Veteran musician and producer King Jammy, whose rhythms were sampled and are part of the internal sound library, said the drum machine will be beneficial to the music students at the institution.

"It will benefit Alpha greatly as the school has a lot of young students and these things are set for young people to enhance. It will help them a lot because younger people are attracted to different sounds and innovation. When the Teenage Engineering project came to me, I directed them how to go about it and they got some samples from me among other things," he 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, a portable sampler and sequencer used for music production. What makes the EP-40 distinct is its deep connection to Jamaica. In addition to King Jammy, its internal sound library is powered by samples, rhythms, and textures created in collaboration with reggae songstress Etana and other entertainers. Etana was on hand at Alpha to assist the workshop. This fusion of Swedish engineering and Jamaican creativity pays tribute to the island's undeniable global influence on music and culture.

Musical director of Alpha, Winston 'Sparrow' Martin, added that the music lovers at the school will benefit well from the machines.

'It will be much easier for them. These people realise that our drummers have a lot of styles, so what they do is pull together a machine to make it much easier because sometimes you employ a drummer and they don't turn up. So it is good to have a machine that you can throw in your bag that have all these drum patterns and sounds and the rhythms is always there," he said.

Founded in Stockholm, Sweden's capital, Teenage Engineering has become a global leader in music technology, known for its inventive instruments, forward-thinking design, and playful yet powerful approach to music creation. The EP-40 represents the company's next step in connecting global cultures through technology and sound.

The highlight of the week-long launch takes place tomorrow at Weddy Weddy Wednesdays street dance, held weekly at Stone Love headquarters on Burlington Avenue, St Andrew. There, the Teenage Engineering team will perform a 45-minute sound system takeover with the EP-40.