“Something really dark and retro sci-fi” is what Hultén says his client wanted, and the Nostrx2 synth is precisely that. Designed keeping the interiors of the USCSS Nostromo spaceship from the 1979 Alien movie in mind, The Nostrx2 is built around the Syntrx2 from Erica Synths, albeit with a darker vibe. The custom build (which took a total of 12 weeks to put together) also features a modified LVX Meris modular delay system, an Analog Heat distortion filter, an all-black Arturia KeySteo 32-key MIDI Controller, and a monitor displaying glitchy visuals as you play from Critter & Guitari.
Designer: Love Hultén
It’s safe to say that Hultén’s turned custom synth-building into an art-form, creating some incredibly elaborate music-making art installations – some of them even with their own NFT visualizer. This particular build for a mystery client may be his darkest build yet, given that the Swedish audiovisual artist does tend to inject a sense of fun and whimsy into his creations.
The black and red colorway, combined with the boxy cabinets definitely gives the overall design a major Vader vibe, with elements looking almost like the panel on Vader’s chest. Combine that with the smoke and fog around the cabinet and it genuinely looks like the kind of synth you’d find on the Death Star!
