Saw and talked to FM3 at Transmediale. I won't write much about Transmediale because I am sure tons of other people have, but it was okay. FM3 interested me for a couple reasons. First, I like their Buddha Box. I think it is a nice idea. It is simple, and, really, the loops are pretty nice.
But what I find even more interesting is the fact that the Buddha Box has made these guys rich. And I might suspect rich beyond any expectations they might have had. These guys, I am guessing, are in their mid-30s and spent the last numerous years touring and making music as an experiemental music group. I think I can fairly accurately speculate that during this time they did not live a life of luxury. Basically, my guess is that they made enough to get by and decided that that was good enough for them. That they liked what they were doing.
Then came the Buddha Box. And just like that life changes. The Buddha Box costs 20€ and this past December they sold 10,000 of them. And speaking with one of the members, he told me that that they had likely sold over 50,000 in total. 1,000,000€. Incredible. So, welcome to your new life.
You can read more about FM3 here, and here and here (talking about how Brian Eno uses a Buddha Box).
