Thoughtful Things has launched a Kickstarter campaign for Engram, a sampler and groovebox that turns broken AI hallucinations into music. The device is not a push-button song machine like Suno. It is built for experimental, uncanny sounds, and it runs entirely offline.
How Engram Works
Engram carries a tiny AI model that runs locally, without an internet connection. The company says it trains these models in-house and custom-trains them. According to the Kickstarter listing, the models are trained on open datasets containing only audio licensed for commercial use, like CC-BY or similar. The company states plainly: “We have not trained and will never train our models on non-commercial, pirated, or otherwise stolen data.”
Founder Evan King describes Engram as a “field recorder for latent space,” a phrase that captures the idea of recording not the physical world but the inner workings of an AI model. The device is also inspired by circuit bending, which means users can tweak and even break its tiny AI models to produce unexpected results. In the campaign video, King asks for “piano” and the device responds with something glitchy and vaguely piano-like.
Price and Availability
Thoughtful Things is launching with a limited run of Engrams for the Kickstarter campaign. The base pledge starts at $675. The company has not announced a retail price, but it is likely to sit between $850 and $900, since the $675 pledge is listed as a 30 percent discount.
| Device | Connection | Training Data |
|---|---|---|
| Engram | Offline | Open datasets, licensed for commercial use |
Why Engram Matters
The key difference between Engram and devices like Suno is intent. Suno is designed to spit out finished songs quickly. Engram is designed to explore the weird space inside an AI model. That exploration is the whole point.
The company’s commitment to clean training data is notable. By refusing to train on pirated or stolen content, Thoughtful Things is positioning itself as a maker of tools rather than a collector of unauthorized material. That distinction matters in a field where copyright claims move fast.
The plan to open Engram’s firmware is also worth watching. If other makers can load their own custom models, the device becomes a platform rather than a closed product.
Engram looks like a fun piece of hardware for anyone who enjoys experimental sound design. It is not a replacement for a full studio setup, and it is not a shortcut to a hit single. It is a tool for making uncanny sounds, and it is backed by a company that has committed to clean data practices.
The Kickstarter launch gives backers early access and a discounted price. For a limited run of devices, that $675 pledge gets you a device that promises to be unpredictable. That unpredictability is the appeal.
Source material: “Engram is a sampler that turns broken AI hallucinations into music,” The Verge.
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