Music lovers are spoilt for choice. The proliferation of online music-streaming platforms has made a greater selection of songs available. However, this inundation can be as much a bane as it is a boon, especially when all you really want is one particular playlist – but can’t remember which mobile device you’ve stored it in.
To Theis Mork, a sound system for our times should be simple to use and efficient. “A smart gadget learns a user’s listening habits and recommends music that he would probably like, so he needs only to do the minimal,” says the 40-year-old who’s been in the audio industry for over 10 years. “With millions of tunes available, people don’t have the time to listen to every track and determine what they enjoy. They are also tired of having their songs stored all over the place.”
This is also the idea behind Bang & Olufsen’s latest wireless home audio system Beosound Moment which Mork conceptualised. By gathering all media on a local network, it consolidates files and thus reduces incessant searching. It also draws from music-streaming service Deezer and 70,000 available Internet radio stations, incorporating an algorithm called Patternplay that recognises its user’s music preference, so it plays songs it thinks one would like to hear. “By designing a system that understands and makes the choices people will likely make on their own, complexity is reduced,” Mork says.
He also recommends clean lines and materials like wood that complement most surroundings. Ultimately, it boils down to simplicity. “Technology should fit easily into people’s lives, not the other way round.”