The Speaker Project Celebrates Australian First Nations Artist

The Speaker Project's founder, Atlas Gouverneur, founded the company in 2019 to make speaker-building accessible to people who don't necessarily have the skills or tools. 

With both virtual and in-person courses offered, users can walk away with a completed pair of 2-way studio monitors, hand-crafted to Atlas's technical design and aesthetically limited only by the builder's creative imagination.

Gouverneur, told StereoNET:

It's a hobby that is deeply rewarding, as you get to build something that covers multiple disciplines, such as woodwork, electroacoustics and music. On top of that, you get to build something that brings the lasting joy of hearing great-sounding music through speakers you've built yourself.

But it was a chance meeting on Atlas' parents' farm (Nulla Nulla Blacksmith Farm), which is 65 km west of Kempsey up on the Great Dividing Range, that led to the idea for his next project. Jason Ridgeway, from the Dunghutti/Thunghutti Nation tribe, was there painting an abstract birds-eye view of the farm. One of the key features of the painting is that the river is in the form of a snake.

We chatted and shared our thoughts and experiences with working on the things that bring us joy. This led to him telling me stories about his culture and ways of life, and how this can be seen in his paintings.

The conversation soon progressed to the idea of Jason painting the exterior of the speakers in Indigenous-themed artwork. The idea is symbolic of how music brings people together, both in Australian indigenous culture and other cultures too; "it's about Australia coming together". His passion is turning his ideas into artworks, creating stories from personal experiences and others. Jason says some of the stories shared through his art have been passed down from his grandparents and their brothers and sisters.

Atlas continued:

The idea also illustrates how music tells us stories, just like dream time stories have been passed down from generation to generation.

The Speaker Project and Black Boy Creations have collaborated to bring the company's TROHET (a Swedish word that translates to fidelity and truth) 2-Way Studio Monitor to market, with each speaker uniquely hand-painted and telling a story. There will never be another pair like it. 

Featuring a 5-inch ScanSpeak woofer and 1-inch Vifa Xt25 tweeter, the 18mm thick, ported enclosure built from sustainable materials is available in Birch, Mahogany, Alder, and Oak finishes. Atlas says the TROHETs are "neutral in sonic signature and provide immense clarity". 

The speaker can pick up on the minor nuances of music. Vocals are natural, and reverb is extended and carries through even with instruments playing in front. The centre sound stage is present but not overbearing, and stereo width/sound stage is realistic. In short, the TROHET's are designed to make music sound like it should, natural and uncoloured.

Atlas recommends 100-500w of power and offers a hefty 10-year warranty on electrical parts. The warranty excludes damage caused by misuse (i.e. blown voice coils), however, should the speakers be damaged by excessive volume, they're happy to repair them at the cost of the parts and time. 

The Speaker Project and Black Boy Creations collaboration speakers are available to order now, with a 4-6 week build time.

For more information visit The Speaker Project