Swedish Graphic Artist Finds a Living Example Where Form Meets Function in the Amphion Argon3S
Andreas Samuelsson shares his appreciation for high-fidelity sound, design and the inspiration it offers his creative process
Gothenburg, Sweden, February 28, 2024— From an early age graphic illustrator Andreas Samuelsson had the desire to communicate through images as the ultimate expression of his truest self. “Throughout my life, the image has been with me. It has been a language for me,” he explains. Starting in 2001 Samuelsson focused on refining his craft by finding balance between color and shape. In 2007 he had a career breakthrough after creating a collage for The New York Times Magazine illustrating the school system through compositions of color, shapes and small sentences. Following the success of this spread Samuelsson had the opportunity to work with clients including brands like Nike, Flos, Volvo, Apple, Kiehls, and Aesop. To inspire each project Samuelsson leverages the power of music to inspire him. “I was looking for the perfect speaker for a long time that delivers both sound and an understated design,” Samuelsson began. Finally, the search was over after he discovered Amphion speakers in a local hi-fi shop. Initially he purchased with a smaller model, but later upgraded to the Argon3S bookshelf loudspeaker to perfect his listening setup.
The Perfect Speaker
The Amphion Argon3S speakers are setup in his studio where he focuses his creative energy on various projects. “Everything about the Amphions appeals to me. They feel genuinely well-thought-out,” Samuelsson continued. “I appreciate the proportions, the weight, the smooth surface, the roundness, the industrial rawness that meets with minimalism.” Samuelsson uses music to help harness his energy and provoke new ideas. “The design and feeling around the product are what usually comes first for me. Normally I tend to have no music at the start of a project,” he says. Once an idea has been born, the illustrator will fill the environment with a specific sound. Music sets the tone for the pieces he creates. “It is constantly a tool for me,” he explains. “Music is like an extension of an idea or a tool to create energy and find the right pulse.”
Another strategy Samuelsson employs to sustain creative momentum is by adopting an analog approach to music to minimize distractions. “I’ve opted for an offline atmosphere where my vinyl collection, cassettes, CD’s and audiobooks play regularly. Flipping through physical things, playing through an entire record from start to finish, the repetition of old routines inspires my curiosity,” Samuelsson adds. Though the artist is not a stranger to streaming platforms like Tidal and Apple Music either. For the recent illustrations he completed for Amphion he crafted an entire playlist consisting of jazz, electronic, atmospheric and ambient dance music to support his artwork. “I appreciate visual music with high and low tempos. They feel like small fragments, details, lines and layers that fall into place, which inspires my work,” Samuelsson.
All Together Now
After living with the Argon3S, Samuelsson began to envision a more seamless integration of the speakers into his interior. “My way of building a room can certainly be quite bold, but there is always a component that reigns it in,” he explains. “This reflects my personality too. I want to be seen, but at the same time stand in the background.” Since his personal life connects heavily to his work, he has consciously curated his home with items that reflect his personality, his appreciation for high-quality design, which also sparks his creativity. “I’m often told my entire home resembles a museum,” Samuelsson laughs. “But I have felt for a long time that there was a lack of a speaker stand that could blend into a home in its own way,” he said. His creative mind is never dormant.
In collaboration with a Stockholm designer and friend Erik Olovsson, they began to create a stand that fit into diverse living spaces. “I started playing with a number of free ideas about a low wooden stand painted with a pop color. The idea is also to make more stands available in different formats, compositions and colors in a series.” While the stands are not yet available, the pair of designers are taking orders by request for now. “Our idea is to try to produce stands as a real product based on a number of standard formats and to sell them widely soon,” Samuelsson concludes. Despite Samuelsson’s preference of listening to music alone while he works every now and then he will have an open house to play tracks for his friends through the Argon3S. “There are few companies in this product category that dare to hold back but at the same time take on the challenge. That’s exactly how I think hi-fi should be. A meeting between music, space and people.”
For more information about Amphion, please visit: https://amphion.fi/.
For more information about Andreas Samuelsson, please visit: https://andreassamuelsson.com/about/.
To listen to a playlist Andreas crafted for a recent project, please visit:
Tidal https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/6c722fb4-4d28-483d-ba04-47d5437dccd7
Apple Music https://music.apple.com/fi/playlist/amphion-andreas-samuelsson/pl.u-4JomXg2FagXAykk
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4xnQvuxSRd3aF2zw2BX2wN?si=J4pzc0JCQQ2u0KtUBDKeAg&pi=e-OGnEGurrQZa3
About Amphion
Amphion Loudspeakers Ltd. was established in 1998. We design and build loudspeakers that are characterized by honest and accurate sound reproduction. Precise driver integration ensures world-class imaging and phase coherency. Controlled dispersion technology helps achieve more stable results in a variety of room acoustics. All products are handmade in Finland (and the Amphion amplifiers are assembled in Finland) to ensure enduring listening quality.
