Music & Light commissions are created for people who want something that does not already exist. Each project begins with a turntable and develops into a unique functional artwork — combining analog sound, restoration, materials, light, movement and a visual concept created specifically for its owner. You can bring us a turntable that already has personal meaning to you, or we can source a suitable vintage model as the foundation for the project. From there, we build the piece together.
A commission can begin with your own turntable or with a model sourced by Music & Light. If you already own a turntable, we first evaluate its mechanical condition, construction and potential for transformation. If you do not have one, we can search for a suitable base model based on the character of the project, desired aesthetic, technical requirements and budget. The original turntable is not simply hidden beneath a new surface. Its proportions, engineering and history become part of the final design.
Every commissioned piece starts with a conversation. We explore the atmosphere you want the object to create, the space in which it will live and the visual language that feels personal to you. The concept may be inspired by architecture, music, a particular album, a colour palette, an era, a material, a memory or simply an abstract idea. You can arrive with a very specific vision or only a feeling. Together, we translate it into a direction for the piece. Materials, colours, transparency, lighting, surface treatment and graphic elements are selected as part of this process. The objective is not to decorate a turntable. It is to create an object whose mechanical function and visual identity feel inseparable.
Before transformation begins, the turntable is carefully inspected and restored where necessary. Depending on the model and condition, this may include cleaning, lubrication, electrical inspection, replacement of worn components, adjustment of the drive system, tonearm setup and other mechanical work. Original elements are preserved whenever they contribute to the character and integrity of the machine.
The result should remain what it was always meant to be: a working instrument for playing records.
Once the technical foundation is ready, the physical transformation begins. Each commission is approached individually. Elements may include custom plinth construction, acrylic, metal, wood, resin, mirrored surfaces, exposed components, graphic treatments, engraved details or completely new structural elements. Some pieces remain close to the architecture of the original machine. Others are transformed much more radically. The final object is developed around the concept rather than a predefined template.
Light is one of the defining materials of Music & Light. Depending on the concept, illumination may be subtle and architectural or become one of the dominant characteristics of the piece. It can reveal transparent layers, emphasize mechanical movement, interact with reflective surfaces or completely change the appearance of the turntable after dark. Lighting is integrated into the object from the beginning of the design process rather than added as an afterthought. The turntable should have one identity when still and another when music, movement and light bring it to life.
After assembly, every commissioned turntable undergoes a final technical setup and listening test. The tonearm, cartridge and playback system are adjusted as required, and all integrated lighting and electrical components are tested. The finished piece must work both as an artwork and as a functional turntable. Only when both aspects are complete is the commission considered finished.
Every Music & Light commission is treated as an individual work. The completed turntable receives its own Music & Light identification and edition number, together with a signed certificate documenting the piece. The certificate records the title, year, original turntable model and the identity of the work. No commissioned piece is reproduced as an identical copy. Certain ideas, materials or techniques may appear again, but each finished object remains unique.
A commission can be quiet, minimal and architectural. It can be colourful, graphic and expressive. It can preserve almost everything about a cherished vintage turntable or radically reinterpret an overlooked machine. There is no fixed visual formula. What defines a Music & Light commission is the relationship between sound, movement, material and light — and the story that connects them.
If you have a turntable you would like to transform, tell us about it. If you are starting without one, tell us about the space, music, materials or ideas you are drawn to and we can suggest a direction and source an appropriate turntable. You do not need to arrive with a finished concept. That is part of the process. Every commission begins with a conversation.