Musical Chairs: Turning Trash into Turntables

mikal hameed sound systems recycled chairs

Believe it or not, these office chair-based sound systems are all fully functional. What’s more, they’re made from discarded chairs – pieces that were slightly flawed and unwanted. They’re mated with old sound equipment to make a sort of Frankenstein jukebox. The open design of the sound systems, says the artist, lets people experience music as it should be: free and in the open, not confined to earphones.

mikal hameed pabst blue ribbon spiky chair sound system

recycled chairs plus boom boxes

Artist and performer Mikal Hameed (also known as M11X) didn’t exactly mean to start creating his sculptures and sound systems out of recycled materials. It just happened to be more cost-efficient to do it that way. But it’s  hard to imagine that his creations would have the same personality if they were made with all new bits and pieces. The unique voice of these discarded pieces lends a kind of world-weary but street smart feel to the finished products.

discarded chairs turned into sound systems

The son of a jazz musician, Mikal feels that music is an experience that can unite everyone regardless of their differences. His sound system projects are all unique and each features its own distinct style; whether you call them sculptures or furniture, they’re amazing bits of DIY sound system art. Mikal produces other works of art also, which are all worth checking out on his website.

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See more in Do It Yourself or under Technology. October, 2009.