Blood Orange has teamed up with AIAIAI to design some new limited edition headphones. Find all the details below.
The Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and producer (aka Dev Hynes) is serving as the Danish audio innovators’ first artist collaborator. He has designed the new headphones collection, and is creatively directing the overall campaign.
For the team-up, Hynes has reimagined two of AIAIAI’s core products: the Tracks headphones, an award-winning supra-aural design recognised for its simple lines and full-spectrum sound; and the TMA-2 Wireless, AIAIAI’s modular over-ear headphones with critically acclaimed sound, high isolation and over 40 hours of playback.
Both products have been redesigned under Hynes’ creative direction, with an emphasis on subtle aesthetics, collectibility and functionality.
The partnership is the first in AIAIAI’s new Artist Series, a new program where musicians are invited to creatively direct and design limited edition versions of AIAIAI products. Each release will act as a blank canvas, showcasing the artist’s vision while deepening the connection between music culture and product design.
“I only ever want to work on products that I actually use, so the idea of doing something with AIAIAI was a no-brainer,” Hynes explained of the project.
“I make Blood Orange music with the hopes that it will solely be listened to in headphones, which is part of what makes working with AIAIAI so exciting to me.”
Frederik Jørgensen, founder of AIAIAI, added: “Working with Dev Hynes (Blood Orange) has been both a dream come true and the perfect way to launch our first series of artist partnerships.
“We’ve been fans of his for years and have always felt proud seeing him wear and use AIAIAI products since the early days.”
He continued: “Dev is a true artist – his work spans from classic to punk, always driven by a distinct sense of style and emotion. Bringing that creative energy into our products has been an incredible experience.”
Blood Orange and AIAIAI’s limited edition collection will be available via AIAIAI, Blood Orange’s online store, and at select global retailers from this Thursday (October 30). Find more information here.
Hynes, formerly known as Lightspeed Champion, released his latest album as Blood Orange in August. In a four-star review, NME said ‘Essex Honey’ contained “stunning reflections on the meaning of home”.
“Running throughout ‘Essex Honey’ are reflections on British identity and the complexities of being a Black British man from an Essex suburb,” it added, before calling the LP “the most organised sketchbook, one which perfectly encapsulates this particular moment in time”.
The record contains collaborations with Lorde, Caroline Polachek, Brendan Yates, Mustafa and more.
Hynes also contributed to Lorde’s latest album, ‘Virgin’, and has recently been opening for the pop star on the US leg of her ‘Ultrasound’ world tour. Next weekend, he’ll kick off an “in the round” residency at London’s Alexandra Palace Theatre as part of his 2025 UK and European tour.
Blood Orange will then support Lorde at her concert in Manchester on November 15, following his own gig in the city the previous day (14). He’ll later host a residency at Brooklyn Steel in New York City.
Visit here for any remaining UK tickets, and here for international tickets.
In other news, Blood Orange covered The Smiths’ classic track ‘How Soon Is Now?’ in Los Angeles earlier this month.
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