I never thought I’d say this, but I’m listening to the radio again. And it’s not because the latest music has suddenly improved. (Gah! No.) My reclaimed ritual is in singular thanks to a tiny audio box called Muzen.
It’s part Bluetooth speaker, part auxiliary speaker, and part radio. A brilliantly packaged radio that’s shorter than a tall Americano and cute enough to come with a tiny detachable antenna and a leather crossbody strap.
Toting my Muzen from room to room and out to the pool reminds me of my dad and his 1970s portable black Sony. When he went outside to wash the car while I roller-skated or when he headed upstairs to repaint the bedroom or sprawled out on a lawn chair at the summer cottage, that trusty radio was right beside him. Year after year, it provided his weekend soundtrack from the only number he liked on the dial. (Which was whichever one had the Bee Gees in heaviest rotation.)
Turning Muzen’s miniature knobs takes me back to music’s simpler times. When I first turned it on, Jack FM played a throwback mix of The B-52s, Rush, Queen, Heart, and The Police. Sweet music to my ears. And the speaker’s rosewood housing is a retro complement to our vintage furnishings.
Muzen might independently be bringing back the radio star. I’ll be tuning in to find out.
For more information, visit muzenaudio.com.