Kevin Parker Unveils New Chord-Generating Instrument, Orchid

Tame Impala‘s Kevin Parker is as revered for the production quality of his music as much as the songs themselves, and now he’s sharing a little bit of that magic with the world. The artist’s Telepathic Instruments is releasing a musical instrument, Orchid, aimed at helping users easily generate chords as a means to aid the compositional and creative processes.

The 12-note keyboard was “originally conceived as a tool for Parker’s own songwriting” more than a decade ago. It contains a patent-pending chord voicing engine, three separate synthesizer emulators (a polyphonic virtual analog subtractive synth, an FM synth and a vintage reed piano emulation inspired by a famous 1960s electric piano), a MIDI out port, built-in speakers and a rechargeable battery, while modes such as Strum, Slop, Arpeggiator, Pattern and Harp allow for adding numerous human touches.

The first 1,000 Orchids will be available next month ahead of a wider release in 2025. Initial users will be able to “shape and refine” the instrument through an online community dubbed the Garden in tandem with Patreon.

“Orchid isn’t just about how much you know or don’t know—it’s about shaking up your creative process,” says co-founder Charl Laubscher. “It’s a tool for anyone who wants to step outside their musical comfort zone, to experiment and to find what’s on their mind.”

Tame Impala hasn’t performed since March 2023, and Parker has spent the time since focusing on songwriting and production work for artists such as Dua Lipa and Justice. At present, it is unknown whether Tame Impala will release new music or tour in 2025.

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