teenage engineering’s choir is a quirky ensemble of wooden robot dolls that serenade you

teenage engineering’s singing dolls appear in pixar movie

A chorus of wooden dolls that serenade you? If that sounds like something out of a dream, Teenage Engineering has made it real. The Swedish electronics studio has introduced the Choir, a whimsical ensemble of eight handcrafted, linkable digital speakers. Each doll is a charming, robotic character with its own look, voice, and personality. Featured in Teenage Engineering’s New York City exhibition in collaboration with Canadian design collective Bentgablenits, the quirky design has also made its cinematic debut, appearing in Pixar’s film Elio.

In Elio, a space-obsessed boy is accidentally beamed into the Communiverse, a vibrant assembly of alien civilizations. The Choir’s voices signal his first contact with alien life, setting the tone for a surreal journey through identity and connection. Later in the film, the dolls’ harmonies underscore the moment Elio’s clone is created, helping to define the sonic language of the film’s off-world environment.

all images courtesy of Teenage Engineering

the choir: tiny performers with a big repertoire

Each member of the Choir by Teenage Engineering is made from beech wood, carefully polished with hard wax oil. Hidden inside is a compact speaker module containing a processor, Bluetooth Low Energy transmitter, and a rechargeable battery with up to four hours of continuous performance time. With moderate use — about 10 minutes a day — the battery can last for a month.

Out of the box, the dolls by the Swedish electronics brand come pre-loaded with a selection of choral pieces ranging from baroque compositions to folk melodies. They can also be controlled via BLE MIDI using Teenage Engineering’s OP–1 Field, OP–Z, or any compatible MIDI keyboard, allowing users to create their own harmonies in real time.

the Choir is a whimsical ensemble of eight handcrafted, linkable digital speakers

playful interaction and expanded performance

Interaction is playful and intuitive. Users can tap a doll to start or stop the music, or tilt it left or right to adjust the volume, thanks to a built-in accelerometer. Each doll features a unique vocal timbre and character design inspired by cultures from around the world. A single doll can perform solo, or users can group up to sixteen dolls together for a full a cappella experience.

The Choir builds on Teenage Engineering’s first project: the Absolut Choir, an art installation created in 2007 featuring 22 wooden dolls for the Absolut Machine series. Now, the concept returns in a refined, interactive format—bridging music technology, storytelling, and character-driven design.

every doll is a robotic character with its own look, voice, and personality

inside the doll is a compact speaker module

the character design is inspired by cultures from around the world

a single doll can perform solo

users can also group up to sixteen dolls together for a full a cappella experience

wih moderate use, the speaker battery can last for a month

Choir x Elio character

project info: 

name: Choir
brand: Teenage Engineering | @teenageengineering

The post teenage engineering’s choir is a quirky ensemble of wooden robot dolls that serenade you appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.