Kanye (or Ye as it were) is promoting his upcoming tenth studio record, Donda, which is named after his late-mother Donda West. A huge listening party was held at the New Orleans Mercedes-Benz Stadium in July. He also took up residence within a locker room. The rapper is currently rebuilding Soldier Field, his childhood home, in preparation for an upcoming listening party.
Under his Yeezy Tech brand, West will also launch a $200 music device called Stem Player. It can isolate specific elements such as vocals, samples, and drums from stems. The site allows it to add effects or remix song elements.
According to reports, the device ships preloaded with the latest record. The FAQ states that the product can be used for any music, even though it is being released with Donda.
The device was developed in conjunction with Kano, a London-based startup that is known for creating a different type of STEM product. This company makes educational devices that help children learn programming. Kano was unable to release many Disney-branded devices in 2019, despite having suffered layoffs.
The company seems to have found a new life. The product even credits Kano on its silicone skin exterior.
During an interview about his album Jesus Is King, West mentioned the device (or its predecessor). It was a collaboration between design firm Teenage Engineering at the time. We designed this portable stem player with Teenage Engineering to promote the gospel. West shared the idea with Zane Lowe.
This product will ship in the summer.
