Bluetooth Music Centre

I would like to present an object for music lovers and steampunk fans. This is an original solution that unites two time periods and shows the unexpected transformation of an object (in this case, a Russian retro corded phone) into a snazzy steampunk-style phone/station for listening to music with Bluetooth headphones.

 

Like many of us, I like and take an interest in music. It relaxes you, evokes positive emotions, and improves your mood, which really is important in this day and age. When I was younger, I used to DJ at dances and play in a music group. Music has always accompanied me – it’s the link that connects generations and allows you to feel what you never even dreamt of experiencing. It just lives inside us, waiting for its chance. I’m not indifferent to it, and this is reflected in my work. This piece came into being as follows:

 

A few years ago, I noticed a phone from the 1950s at a flea market. Its shape caught my eye, so I bought it with the intention of making something out of it in the future. I didn’t have a specific vision at the time. The phone collected dust on a shelf for quite a while. I would occasionally pick it up, look it over, and then put it back down. The idea came to my spontaneously when I picked up the receiver. That space became empty and I wanted to fill it. I put my mobile phone there and ended up with a solution that surprised me. All that was left was to give the old phone a steampunk touch – in other words, add some parts that would give it some style, and of course, that would work with a modern smart device. I had to accommodate the existing chrome-plated parts and adapt a few others. The old phone had too many colours, so I decided to refine the materiality more by limiting myself to black and the lustre of the chrome details. In this way, I gave the object a new aesthetic appearance and functionality, forgetting, of course, its previous purpose of making and answering calls, but attention-grabbing all the same. After all, music is the most important thing now. Let’s enjoy it.

More info: artistartas.com

BEFORE

AFTER

It looked great as a retro phone, but for a music centre, it needed some elegance. I wanted to give it a sense of lightness. First I removed the old wooden feet, which seemed too low for my new piece.

I replaced them with chrome-plated feet from an old Russian tea kettle – the kind our parents used to use. Their curved shape met my expectations, so I went and cut them off.

As much as I liked the curved shape, it was a bit too simple – begging for some light ornamentation. With the help of jewellery files, I achieved what I was looking for. The line became more playful.

No music centre is complete without speakers. I ended up using an old, useless saxophone for this; its curved part fit perfectly.

The wide part of the saxophone seemed too big for my centre, so I used part of a trumpet. After cutting it to the right diameter and connecting it to the curved part of the saxophone, the result was fantastic. All that was left was to figure out how to attach it to the centre itself.

All of the parts had to be washed. I started with solvent 646 and then moved to 9% vinegar. Finally, I washed the parts thoroughly with water. They took on a true chrome shine.

I added details to the body of the music centre – a part from a Singer sewing machine, a piece of a wall clock mechanism, and the metal lid of a butter dish. Of course, they also needed to be tweaked.

I took the assembled music centre apart and painted the body with black spray paint, followed by varnish. I replaced the old dial with a chrome-plated dial so that it went with the other parts. All that was left was to put everything in its place. I designed a hanger to hold the headphones. Once you’re done listening to the music, you can leave them there.

Inspired by how the first try came out, I made another music centre out of different musical instrument parts. I personally think it’s even better.
Two in one. That’s how I would summarise the result. In this case, the difference in time periods was only for the best. It combined everything into a common goal: music.