Grooves begins with something almost too small to see: the microscopic grooves of a vinyl record. Created by Christian D. Sabroe, founder of Akustiske Ikoner, the works enlarge those traces and recreate them in wood, turning a favourite album into a unique piece of visual art. Yet the sculptural surface is functional too, diffusing reflected sound to help reduce unwanted resonance in a listening room. In Sabroe’s hands, music becomes something to appreciate sonically as well as visually.

Christian D. Sabroe’s working life sits far from the world of art. A naval officer working in the Danish Defence’s Cyber Division, his move into acoustic art was spurred by a lifelong fascination with music, particularly analogue sound and vinyl.

Akustiske Ikoner: GROOVES – the shape of sound

“I’ve always been fascinated by the physics and technology behind vinyl,” he says. “I continue to be amazed that such moving and grand music can come out of such microscopic grooves. “Thus, my works remind you of the fascinating interplay between the grooves of the record and the stylus.”

With that connection as the inspiration, each work is based on a record personally chosen by the client, allowing a favourite album or track to become visible on the wall. Despite its acoustic function, Sabroe wants each piece to stand as an artwork in its own right – something for music lovers who want their passion to have a visible, carefully considered place in their home.

Akustiske Ikoner: GROOVES – the shape of sound

From listening room to artwork

The idea for Groove grew out of Sabroe’s interest in improving listening rooms. He considered offering acoustic measurements and advice to enthusiasts who invest heavily in equipment while sometimes overlooking the fundamental acoustical treatment of the room. He also wanted to offer acoustic diffusors and bass traps, but began wondering whether a diffuser could be both functional and personal art.

“I was looking for a structure that was almost random, but still natural,” he recalls. “Then I thought of the grooves in a record. They had the kind of structure I was looking for, and at the same time they carried the music itself, and the narrative of the artist.”

From there came Grooves: the physical trace of recorded sound magnified into wall art. Rather than concealing acoustic treatment, Sabroe turns it into art, intended and appreciated, giving the music itself a visual presence in the room.

Akustiske Ikoner: GROOVES – the shape of sound

Carved by hand

Each piece begins with a microscopic image of the vinyl grooves, which Sabroe manually traces to create a digital vector file. A laser is used to cut acrylic templates, but the wood itself is shaped by hand with a router, following those templates groove by groove.

“It’s important to me that the work is handmade,” he says. “The laser only cuts the templates, to ensure a perfect copy of the grooves. The wood itself is worked by hand.”

Clients choose the album or track, dimensions, type of timber and finish, to match the wood to existing loudspeakers or interiors. Natural imperfections are retained, while the groove edges are scorched to emphasise the grain.

The relief also works as a diffusor, scattering reflected mid- and high-frequency sound rather than sending it directly back into the room. At hi-fi fairs, Sabroe has noticed another advantage. “I joke that it has a high wife acceptance factor,” he says. “Unlike many acoustic panels, these are something people can actually imagine decorating their home.”

More than the sound

For Sabroe, the handmade process forms part of a broader idea about actually listening. Vinyl involves choosing a record, carefully placing it on the turntable, lowering the stylus, sitting down and listening – a ritual far removed from streamed music playing in the background. Grooves adds a visual dimension to that experience while also contributing acoustically. “I want it to be aesthetically beautiful in the listening room, not just functional,” he says. “There’s also a narrative in it. The telling of the artist, of your choosing, is expressed both in music and in visual art.”

The uniqueness is deliberate. Once a wooden work is finished, Sabroe destroys the acrylic templates, ensuring that the same piece cannot simply be produced again. The result is tied not only to a particular recording, but also to a particular material and handmade process – a physical counterpoint to an increasingly digital way of experiencing music.
Sabroe is now exploring a more affordable version made from felt, using the same album-derived patterns but allowing them to be produced in small series. “My idea is to make a low-key version in felt that is considerably more affordable,” he says. It is a more accessible extension of the concept, but the underlying idea remains the same: making the hidden physical structure of music visible and adding another layer to the joy of the listening experience.

Akustiske Ikoner: GROOVES – the shape of sound

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GROOVES can be experienced at:
High Performance Audio (København)
Stylus Audio Denmark (Odder)

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