Teenage Engineering is dropping cryptic teasers on social media that strongly suggest a new product is on the way.
In an Instagram post shared yesterday (October 31), the Swedish company posted an image of a series of coloured bars fading from white to black, with the caption "etwas kommt bald". This German phrase translates to "something is coming soon". An email we received with the same image also had a German subject line that translates as: "some things arise from the darkness".
So far, so mysterious, but what could Teenage Engineering be about to unveil? Eagle-eyed Redditors have noted that TE founder and CEO Jesper Kouthoofd has been sharing similarly enigmatic posts on his personal Instagram account with the hashtag #XY, suggesting that whatever the product is, that's what it may be named. We've got the OP-Z, how about the OP-XY?
One of Kouthoofd's posts also features the caption "#XY #bluetooth approved #launch soon #gripcar2 #autonomous", suggesting that the company is working on a successor to the Grip Car, a toy car designed by friend of the company Anders Hermansen and released by Teenage Engineering.
Another enterprising sleuth has noted that today (November 1st) is the 50th anniversary of Kraftwerk's Autobahn. If you recall that TE's teasers have been in German, rather than the company's native Swedish, then it all begins to fall into place; all but confirming the theory is the presence of another teaser post on Kouthoofd's Instagram featuring a close-up shot of a speedometer.
Some have suggested that TE might be gearing up to release of a Kraftwerk-themed EP-133 K.O. II, joining the Medieval-themed version released earlier this year, but sadly for us music-makers, it seems more likely that an Autobahn-themed, Bluetooth-equipped sequel to the Grip Car is on the way; perhaps a remote-controlled version?
Though TE is best known for its music-making devices, it's always been a brand unafraid of going against the expectations of its fans with unconventional design choices. When it comes to Teenage Engineering, you really never know what's coming next.
When we know more, so will you.
