To give voice to the imagined universe of Disney and Pixar’s Elio, a sound was needed—one that felt familiar yet alien at the same time. That’s where the team from Teenage Engineering came in, bringing their strangest and most fascinating project directly into the recording studios of Hollywood. It’s called Choir, and it’s an ensemble of wooden dolls with the ability to sing. Yes, actually sing.
Twenty-four dolls were featured in this collaboration: miked like a human choir at the Sony Scoring Stage, they were directed like any other group of professional singers. The result is a choral sound that feels as if it’s from another world, yet carries something deeply emotional. Each doll has a unique voice, programmed to sing in harmony with the others. The effect is as surreal as it is poetic.
Teenage Engineering isn’t new to out-of-the-box inventions, but this time they’ve outdone themselves. Choir was born as a collectible object, but it’s become a fully-fledged musical instrument—capable of evoking emotion and surprise. And in the context of a film like Elio, where the line between reality and imagination is razor thin, their sonic presence becomes a powerful narrative element.
At the film’s premiere, three special dolls customized to resemble the main characters made a VIP appearance—further confirming the deep bond between design, technology, and storytelling that this project perfectly embodies. This isn’t just an experiment, it’s a new way of thinking about music.
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