Devon Turnbull on Elevating the Beauty of Sound
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In this episode of Time Sensitive, host Spencer Ackerman sits down with artist and audio pioneer Devin Turnbull, founder of OGIS, to explore the intersection of sound, craft, and spirituality. Turnbull, known for his hand-built, high-fidelity audio systems that function as sonic sculptures, traces his journey from graffiti artist and DJ to a revered figure in the art and audio worlds. He discusses how his upbringing in a spiritual community in Iowa, combined with deep immersion in Japanese audio culture—particularly the wabi-sabi aesthetic and DIY ethos—shaped his philosophy of creating systems that foster emotional connection rather than technical perfection. His installations at venues like the Cooper Hewitt, SF MoMA, and Listen Gallery are not just listening rooms but immersive experiences that invite audiences into a meditative, communal act of listening. Turnbull emphasizes that his work is not about selling gear or achieving sonic supremacy, but about cultivating presence, honoring craftsmanship, and sharing avant-garde music with new audiences. The conversation reveals how his personal evolution—from basement tinkerer to gallery artist—mirrors a broader cultural shift in how we value sound, space, and human connection in the age of streaming. Key takeaways include: 1) True audio excellence lies in emotional resonance, not technical specs; 2) The handmade, analog process is a form of artistic and spiritual practice; 3) Japanese audio culture’s wabi-sabi principles offer a counter-narrative to planned obsolescence; 4) Listening rooms are not just spaces for sound but for community and shared experience; 5) The most powerful music often exists outside mainstream venues and deserves dedicated spaces to be heard; 6) Art and technology can coexist when rooted in craft and intention; 7) Legacy is built not through commercial success but through cultural contribution and mentorship; 8) The act of listening is itself a radical form of presence in a distracted world.
True audio excellence lies in emotional resonance, not technical specs.
The handmade, analog process is a form of artistic and spiritual practice.
Japanese audio culture’s wabi-sabi principles offer a counter-narrative to planned obsolescence.
Listening rooms are not just spaces for sound but for community and shared experience.
The most powerful music often exists outside mainstream venues and deserves dedicated spaces to be heard.
…and 3 more takeaways available in PodZeus
The Emotional Conduit of Sound
“For me, it's all about like this emotional conduit with the music, right? Like the players are the real magicians. And I just want to create an environment and a system that is going to like create as close of a connection to the sort of emotional content in the music as possible.”
From Graffiti to High-Fidelity: The OGIS Evolution
Turnbull traces his creative journey from using 'OGIS' as a graffiti pseudonym to building custom audio systems. He reflects on how his early work in fashion and design in Tokyo led him to deepen his relationship with music listening.
The Spiritual Aesthetic and the Guru Complex
“I want to at all costs avoid the kind of like like guru complex. And it's a thing that does happen in audio. I'd say it happens in anything. In anything, exactly.”
Japanese Audio Culture and the DIY Ethos
“The Japanese audio culture did not invent this type of amplifier. It's something that Bell Labs and Western Electric RCA engineers were using back in the 30s, but it was superseded by more powerful and efficient amplifier types. But it's hard... to go on record and talk about like dates and stuff like that because um this stuff just isn't documented especially in english.”
The Listening Room as Art and Practice
“The listening is the work, not the making really. You know, the making is of course the process, but the listening is the important part.”
“It was like these late nights working in the woodshop in Brooklyn, listening to new sounds on WNYC, thinking like there's a whole world here that I've just never seen put together. This kind of avant-garde either New York or adjacent avant-garde music. This is the music that I'm listening to on these systems and building these kinds of systems. I saw all the building blocks back then.”
“There are things that have not been surpassed in their beauty and audio that are almost 100 years old now.”
“For me, it's all about like this emotional conduit with the music, right? Like the players are the real magicians. And I just want to create an environment and a system that is going to like create as close of a connection to the sort of emotional content in the music as possible.”
Host
Guest
Devin Turnbull
person
OGIS
brand
MJ
other
Cooper Hewitt
organization
Listen Gallery
organization
SF MoMA
organization
Alex Calderwood
person
L'École Van Cleef & Arpels
organization
John Schaefer
person
Ace Hotels
organization
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