Home electronics company Sonos made big waves in October when they teamed up with iconic hip-hop group Beastie Boys on a limited edition of their Play:5 speaker.
Originally revealed during the group’s Live & Direct Tour earlier this year, the collaboration sees Sonos’ largest and most technologically-advanced speaker updated with artwork by famed graffiti artist Barry McGee, countering the Play:5’s sleek, minimalist design with striking typographic artwork. Considering Beastie Boys’ notoriety for loud noise and even louder voices, it’s fitting that the group would be the latest to put their special twist on Sonos’ typically understated speakers.
Not only that, the collaboration is rooted in a good cause, with all proceeds from sales of the speaker going to charities Peace Sisters and Little Kids Rock in the name of the Adam Yauch Foundation, an initiative set up by the friends and family of Beastie Boys member MCA following his death from cancer in 2012.
To mark the launch of the Play:5 Beastie Boys Edition, Sonos will be holding pre-launch events in New York, London, and Berlin in anticipation of the speaker’s release on December 12. Each event will feature readings from the recently-published Beastie Boys Book by fans and friends of the group, as well as live demonstrations and panel discussions.
If you’re in NYC, head to the Sonos Store in SoHo (101 Greene St.) at 9 a.m. EDT to cop the limited edition speaker when it drops on December 12, or if in Berlin drop by the Sonos Store in Mitte (Oranienburger Str. 83) at 11 a.m. CET. If you're anywhere in between, limited numbers will be available at 10 a.m. EDT on sonos.com.
