Unlike the garage bands of the late twentieth century, a musician’s first “collaborator” in electronic music is often software. Picture an electronic music producer sitting in the glow of their computer monitor. Hours go by and they haven’t taken their eyes off the screen. The only movement comes from their hand pushing the mouse around the desk. Their only communication with peers is on Reddit threads or the comments on their SoundCloud page. The technicality of music programs like Ableton and the focus it takes to master them can be difficult for newcomers hoping to make electronic music. The process can be isolating, especially at the beginning.
It was these realities that motivated John Hardig to open up Treasuretronics three years ago.
As you walk into the space, you are met with the rushing sounds of synthesizers and drum machines. Some customers are experimenting in the demo area, twisting knobs and pressing buttons, creating an improvisational soundtrack for the store. The walls are hung with synthesizers, both new and vintage, their glossy piano keys shining. You do a double take when you see yourself on a TV, your image glitching and blending with a children’s movie. The rest of the store is crammed with audio and video equipment in every nook and cranny.
Hardig started off with an eBay profile selling vintage synthesizers. When the business took off, John opened up a brick and mortar location in Cheviot, Ohio with a focus on community and inspiring others to take creativity into their own hands–literally.
“Treasuretronics is dedicated to the idea that it is just more fun to create music, play records, or do almost anything with your own hands in the real world with real devices,” the shop's website explains. The store also doubles as a performance space, with four acts taking over the shop every first Friday.
“Sometimes electronic music can fall flat in the wrong environment,” Hardig says. "So this place is a very supportive environment. Everyone who comes here is a total synth head, and as long as it bleeps and bloops we're gonna love it.” The shows started off more like an open mic night where anyone could come and perform, but as it gained popularity, it morphed into a showcase. These Friday nights can even pull in acts from neighboring states.
Having a space to perform like this can even create homegrown prodigies, like Head Scientist One, AKA Levi Ward. Even before Ward had truly discovered synthesizers, he was drawn to the shop.
“We had driven past it a few times, and I wanted to go very badly,” Ward says. "The first time I was there, it made me fall in love with synths in a way.” Ward's deep dive into music production and synthesizers kicked into gear sometime around late 2021, when he was 11 years old. He purchased his first synth in May of 2022, “a handheld chiptune synth and I really liked it.”
As he learned more about the hobby, Ward also stumbled into circuit bending, jailbreaking an electronic device to create new sounds never intended by the manufacturer. A popular example is the Texas Instruments Speak & Spell, which has been opened up and modified to produce surreal noises and tones. During this time of exploration, a local noise musician gifted him a circuit bent keyboard, which just goes to show how supportive this community can be to newcomers given the right venues and networks.
On a Friday night at the shop, Ward was equipped with a circuit bent cassette player, a sampler, and a laptop for his opening set, which included a performer all the way from Massachusetts. The cassette player had been modified to dramatically change speeds with the twist of a knob. By slowing down the cassettes and saturating the sounds with effects, he created a vaporwave like soundscape. The shop was completely full of supportive friends, family, and lovers of noise. John Hardig was at the helm, introducing new acts and running the show. After Ward finished his set, he was completely glued to the other performances, seeing each set as an opportunity to learn and be inspired.
Hardig's mission to foster a community of synth heads is well on its way, and it’s only been three years. As he says before the show, “I know most people order things on Sweetwater or Guitar Center online, but people really appreciate [a] place that they have a connection to.”
Editor's note: a prior version of this story said Treasuretronics was located in Delhi, Ohio.
