The name of this instrument, ‘Knurl’ comes from the word knurling, symbolizing its intention to turn mindsets, playing among tension and release to reveal combinations of sinergic movements, such as those knurling textures does for industrial mechanisms to turn.
I built Knurl with the intention to share it with the world, so that the sound made on the instrument can be played, designed and understood in multiple ways. This implies that music made with Knurl can be listened to using multiple perceptions and people, and can be a way we, as musicians and creators, can adjust our musical mindset. There is no good or bad for such an abstract art as music. However, I believe it is important to be open-minded, to listen to music that exists beyond standard classifications (traditions, styles, references and cultures).
At the end of 2021/ beginning of 2022, I halted the development of my latest Knurl prototype (n.92), and did so by applying all the things I had tested into several iterations and one musical application. In this respect, the whole design projects an idea of movement within a period of single time. That includes the selection of electronics sounds and how one approaches composition. Moreover, I hope Knurl can serve as a reference to stimulate awareness into the current music industry, since it can connect with a diverse range of research and innovative areas while also prompting a dialogue with important global issues such as Sustainability, Mobility, Inclusion, and Automation. I also believe new instrument designs, such as Knurl, offer solutions and dialogue that agrees with the new aforementioned values that hopefully underpin the XXI century.
It is my own belief that the world we live in needs examples and solutions to create a healthier relationship between musicians, listener, and the tools we use to make music. The current platforms and tools we use, and the way we practice, typically do not offer users a healthy vision towards music practice, but also not enough flexibility, diversity thinking, accessibility to all users, or ability to maintain/repair or customize their use. For me, in many respects this implies that we do not fully own our instrument.