Tag Archives: Music

Just like many other artists, LEGO builders find inspiration in the music they listen to as they create the wonderful models you see here on The Brothers Brick. It’s no surprise, then, that music inspires many LEGO models more directly, from minifig musicians to album art recreated with bricks.

PoweredUp record player with brick-built melodies

If there’s one thing people in my life know about me, it’s my love of LEGO. I’ve probably bored enough of them out of their mind at this point to recognize when their eyes begin to glaze over as they start thinking of their groceries. So when something like this comes along and even non-LEGO fanatics are fascinated by it, I relish the moment. This model surely deserves attention, but it’s one you have to hear to appreciate. A stroke of ingenuity led builder Peter Zieske to create this adorable, azure record player that actually works.

Build-A-Melody working record player

The music notes adorning the sides are clever decorations made possible by the Trolls line. A brick-built speaker and knob on the front complete the pleasing clamshell design which opens up to reveal the needle and the turntable.

Build-A-Melody working record player

Let’s take a peek under the record and see how the magic is made. Thanks to a Boost Color sensor and an app, Peter was able to elevate this from imitation to working model. The sensor reads the different colored circular tiles under the brick-built record and communicates with the app to play different tones. I imagine Peter was pretty excited to get this working so the Ode to Joy is quite an appropriate first song.

Packed away inside the beautiful body of this model, in addition to the color sensor, is a motor for the turntable and a Powered UP hub to control it all. The technology fits nicely inside the frame, especially when you consider that this isn’t a full-sized record player.

Build-A-Melody working record player

This is an impressive build that suggests the possibilities that LEGO provides us. I can’t help but imagine how many songs could be made with this or what a few more color sensors and a bigger turntable could do. Models like this can go beyond the lines of diehard LEGO fans to music fans and record collectors. Builder Peter Zieske should put on his favorite record, sit back, and savor this accomplishment.

This is what it sounds like when doves cry

Prince is, of course, a music legend who left us too soon. However, he’s also notable for totally nailing his passport photo. I mean, DAMN! How can he look that good? Who doesn’t resemble a crazed maniac in their passport photos? Speaking of crazed maniacs, Paul Hetherington is one of the most talented LEGO artists we know. On the stage of his newest creation, we have the inimitable Prince and the Revolution, but flanking them are Majesty and Divinity, Prince’s beloved doves. This piece also includes Prince’s signature purple piano, firepole, and bathtub.

LEGO Prince and the Revolution

A closer look at the band members and we see a striking resemblance to Wendy and Lisa, Doctor Fink, BobbyZ, and Brownmark, all of which were carefully crafted from existing LEGO minifigure parts. If you’re looking at Prince and thinking whoa, hang on there Sonny Jim, what is going on here? Well, he is a custom-made figure by Citizen Brick and features Crazy Arms made by Crazy Bricks. Us LEGO people get by with a little help from our friends which, I’m aware, is completely the wrong band and song reference.

LEGO Prince and the Revolution

If you’re loving this and are totally jonesing for all things Paul, then we got you covered. If, by chance, you want to know what it sounds like when a TBB writer cries, then remind me to show you my passport photo. Oy, what was I thinking with that face? Like a burst sofa!

Bold colors and some fresh beats

Virva Staccato is ready to tear the house down! Inspired by the drum kit from LEGO Friends set 41449 Andrea’s Family House, this exceptional drummer can only be the work of uber-talented artist, Eero Okkonen. The funky color scheme gives the character a ton of flair and attitude, but it’s the parts usage that gives it the wow factor. Details from the house, like the window shutters on her top and 1x2x2 trans opalescent window panes for the glasses. I’m also a big fan of the pigtails from tires and Hero Factory robot legs for earings.

Virva Staccato

This has to be one of my all-time favorites, but it’s hard to choose from all of Eero’s other great LEGO characters we featured! Stick around and check out a few more!

Even a robot band needs a space tour bus

I finally realised why Daft Punk decided to retire a few months ago. There is a new robot band in town. Meet Solid State, a four-piece robotic pop group from the future. Serving in the LEGO Classic Space fleet aboard a remote outpost, they overrode their programming and abandoned their boring jobs. Instead of becoming murder-bots, they did what all young insurgent mechanoids should do: unleash their creative circuits in crafting music that explores life from a mechanical perspective. In other words, “beep beep beep.” Classic Space robot expert and Solid State groupie Tim Goddard even built a tour bus to help Solid State travel to perform at gigs. It totally matches the band’s brand – grey, mechanical, and goes beep beep beep. Most importantly, there is ample room in the back for the whole band plus all their equipment. While it’s not the most luxurious vehicle that musicians and space influencers like to flaunt, it’s perfect for the up-and-coming group.

Solid State tour bus

Beep is Solid State’s debut single, as seen in the beautifully made LEGO stop-motion music video below. The song is upbeat and catchy, and exactly what you would expect from robots. It’s all performed by LEGO Space legend Peter Reid and fellow space builders Jeremy Williams, Drew Hamilton, and Chris Salt, who built the band and their equipment.

Solid State consists of: Keko (Peter Reid, vocals/guitar/synths), Mason (Jeremy Williams, decks/vocals/programming), Wami (Drew Hamilton, bass/keys), and Biz (Chris Salt, drums). A four song EP Zeros and Ones will be released later this year, and I for one, am very excited for more robot noises!

You wanted a CD player for your speeder bike, right?

There’s creative part usage, then there’s what Mitch Phillips has accomplished with Frequency Clipper.  You might recognize that old-school Insectoids wing at the rear, or the Hero Factory shoulder armor on the sides. But the key feature has to be that Bionicle Borahk CD-ROM at the front. Talk about taking your tunes wherever you go…

Frequency Clipper

In the mood for more great Speeder Bikes? Cruise our archives for more creative builds!

A flying Flying V? That’s unexpected.

The Cyber Metal 2, a speeder bike with some highly unusual styling, is a fun creation from Julius Kanand.  Sure, you’ve probably heard of Flying V guitars, but how do you like this flying Flying V? I’m particularly fond of the transparent bright green accents, the speaker cones that double as thrusters, and the use of 1×1 round speaker tiles. Part Doof Wagon, part Star Wars, this build is music to our ears.

Cyber Metal 2
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All hail the king the of the wolves

Never having read Twilight, I must confess I’m not too familiar with Werewolf social hierarchies. But it’s pretty clear that this LEGO werewolf is preeminent among his canine peers, given the crown. Inspired by artwork from Powerwolf, a German metal band, (because of course it is) this vignette by Revan New depicts the Lupus Dei terrorizing a town. Revan has captured the wolf’s snarling visage perfectly with a jumble of pieces that includes wings, teeth, and minifigure arms. I think the best detail, though, is also one of the simplest: the cross clutched in his right hand, which is made of just five elements: a round 2×2 tile and four 1×1 clips.

Powerwolf * Sacred and Wild

Jammin’ with an 80’s icon

There are very few things that are more “Classic 80’s” than the WALKMAN. When it came out, it was the birth of compact tech that allowed you to easily bring your music with you anywhere. We take it for granted today, but it was fairly novel at the time. Along with it came a new era of music. Digital recording allowed for electronic effects, which has shaped the majority of popular music today. LEGO builder Jarek Książczyk (Jerac) pays homage to one of the icons that started it all, with this excellent scale model of the Sony WALKMAN.

Walkman

What makes this retro build most awesome is the fact that the player opens up to hold a “cassette.” Additionally, he snuck in some electronics to make it seem like it actually is functional.

While you’re here, check out some of Jerac’s other great builds, including Mando’s Razor Crest!

The LEGO Universe soundtrack has been remastered, released for its 10th anniversary [News]

To mark the 10th anniversary of LEGO Universe, LEGO is releasing the game’s soundtrack for the first time. Composed by Brian Tyler (who is also known for scoring much of the Fast & Furious franchise and films like Avengers: Age of Ultron), the Massively Multiplayer Online game’s soundtrack has never before been available apart from the game. The new remastered version will be accompanied by several episodes of LEGO’s Bricks N’ Bits podcast focusing on the game, including interviews with Brian, the game’s producer Richard Dekkard, and Sir Patrick Stewart, who provided voiceover work for the game.

Released in 2010, LEGO Universe was the company’s first foray into MMO games. It was met with a lukewarm reception, and the game was shuttered in January 2012, just 15 months after it debuted.

The newly remastered soundtrack will be available for purchase or streaming on all the usual platforms. LEGO also says it will be available on the official LEGO Gaming Youtube channel.

Click to read the full press release from LEGO

LEGO VIDIYO sets are officially revealed [News]

Today, LEGO announced the first wave of brand new VIDIYO sets. The new press release gives more details about what we learned from the initial announcement, as well as introduced new types of products. The new LEGO VIDIYO is all about three things: BeatBoxes, Bandmates, and BeatBits. The first wave, which is slated for March 1, will include six unique portable BeatBoxes that each hold a minifigure representing a specific music genre. The colorful tiles included in each BeatBox, are called BeatBits; you’ll find two special BeatBits and 14 random BeatBits in each BeatBox. Besides the six BeatBoxes, the series will include 12 Bandmates to collect.

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The envy of all band nerds

In 5th grade, my classmates and I had the option to pick up an instrument and join the school band. I desperately wanted to play the drums but my parents couldn’t stand the thought. My second choice was the saxophone, simply because it looked rad as heck. All those pearl and gold keys! Shiny, soulful, sultry: the royalty of reed instruments… This little sax, built by musician and LEGO artist PaulvilleMOCs , brings me back to those days. It truly is unique – especially this tribute, with its banana gooseneck and other neat elements such as binoculars and a roller skate for sections of the body/keys.

Practice Makes Perfect

I’m envious of Paul and his saxophone, and I wonder if he plays as beautifully as he builds. Back then, my mom took me to the music store where I was already taking piano lessons, and upon hearing the “member discounted” price of a sax, almost had a heart attack. I ended up with a family friend’s clarinet – which felt like a small step up from the boring 4th-grade recorder. But as a dutiful band-nerd, I kept with it until I switched to its cooler cousin, the bass clarinet, in high school. One of a kind in a symphonic band of 60+. Total rockstar… And I could barely remember a lick of it now.

The LEGO Group collaborates with Universal Music to bring VIDIYO — a brand new line of music-inspired engagement with LEGO play [News]

Unveiled today, the new LEGO VIDIYO products are the result of a partnership between the LEGO Group and Universal Music Group, which was announced last April. The new sets promise an “innovative music video maker experience,” meaning LEGO is making new attempts to include smart devices into play. According to the press release, the new theme is aimed at kids aged 7-10 who are keen explorers of play and music. LEGO also guarantees a safe virtual environment for young content creators.

Click here to learn more about LEGO VIDIYO