About

From their Copenhagen studio, brothers Frederik and Jacob have revived Thank You For Clapping (TYFC), a platform exploring the intersection of sound, art, and functional design. After a decade-long hiatus, they're building something that's part workshop, part listening room, part experiment.

Let's start with the name, Thank You For Clapping. Where does it come from?

Jacob: It's a Wovenhand tour title. I co-founded TYFC years ago alongside AIAIAI, the headphone company I also co-founded. The name felt right; it acknowledged the exchange between performer and audience. There's something a bit absurd about it.

Frederik: I wasn't involved back then. I'm 12 years younger than Jacob. But when we decided to bring it back, the name still resonated. There's a humor to it. Hopefully signals that we don't take ourselves too seriously.

TYFC was dormant for about a decade. What brought it back?

Jacob: TYFC actually helped develop AIAIAI's first DJ headphone, the TMA-1. But most of the people working on TYFC ended up becoming part of AIAIAI, which is why TYFC went quiet. Our starting point has always been the same though: an interest in sound, music, art and industrial design. We were just more focused on product development.

Frederik: I was off doing other things. Finishing my education, making films, then some research with Copenhagen Business School into sound and technology in public spaces. Over the years we've both also started lots of small projects and ventures. Some worked, some didn't. We grew up in an entrepreneurial environment; our father started AM Clean Sound, a vinyl care company, back in 1971, when he was a teenager. He showed us the freedom of just trying things out and seeing what happens without thinking too much about the outcome.

Jacob: Actually, AM Clean Sound had also been on the back burner for years when Frederik and I decided to revive it together. That was one of our first collaborations, going back to where our father started, seeing if it still made sense.

Frederik: Yes, it was fun returning to those roots. Understanding why our father made certain decisions, what the original philosophy was. Turned out it all still held up: proper vinyl care, quality materials, no shortcuts.

Jacob: That project taught us we work well together despite the age gap. Different perspectives, but shared values from how we grew up.

So AM Clean Sound and TYFC are both revival projects?

Frederik: Yeah, I guess they are. We seem to enjoy taking dormant things and seeing if they have new life in them. Not very forward-thinking of us.

Jacob: But there's something appealing about not starting from zero. With AM Clean Sound, there was 50 years of reputation to build from. With TYFC, there was at least a name and some vague ideas about what it could be.

How do the two companies relate to each other?

Jacob: They're sister companies. AM is slightly more focused and established, with products that have decades of credibility. TYFC is more experimental, able to take risks.

Your studio is on Heimdalsgade. Tell us about the space.

Jacob: It's an old industrial building with a courtyard. When we found it, we saw potential for something beyond just a workspace, both inside and in the outdoor area.

Frederik: We've incorporated two of Yuri Suzuki's horn sculptures in the courtyard. Colourful acoustic horns from his Welcome Chorus installation that we were lucky enough to get hold of. They're connected to one of Yuri's ambient sound machines, so you can compose little pieces of music that play through the horns. It's for the birds, really, but we enjoy it too.

Jacob: It changes the space completely. You're working inside and there are these tones drifting in from outside every now and then. We're actually working with Yuri on a few different projects that we're hoping to launch next year.

Frederik: Inside we also have another sound installation: speakers from a New York studio, Oda, that play live sound from around the world, in real-time. They are big, colourful panels in organic forms that hang from the ceiling. It looks like a giant mobile. Right now they're playing from a rainforest in Costa Rica. Very calming.

The space has a very considered design feel to it. Who's behind that?

Frederik: We've been working closely with Theo Sachs, the artist and architect behind Sachs Sachs. He helped us design the space: the big lines, some furniture pieces, even the toilet door handles.

Jacob: Actually, one third of this building is Theo's workshop, so we're literally working next door to each other. That proximity has been great; we can just walk over and discuss ideas, try things out.

Frederik: It's a mix of custom solutions specifically for our space and projects that might go into production. Having that kind of collaboration with someone who really understands materials and form has shaped a lot of what this place has become.

Jacob: It's been really valuable. Not just the aesthetic stuff, but thinking through how the space actually functions, how people move through it, what makes sense practically versus what's just nice to look at.

Let's talk about the shelving system you've developed.

Jacob: We needed storage for our vinyl and couldn't find anything that we liked, so we made our own. Pretty straightforward motivation. All we could find were either flimsy Ikea solutions, fairly ugly pieces of furniture, or they were absurdly expensive. We wanted something modular, well-made, industrial but not cold.

Frederik: We developed our shelving system together with Spacon, a Copenhagen architecture studio. It's an aluminium flat-pack and modular system that you can configure however you need. It's designed with the dimensions of vinyl and turntables in mind, but you can use it for books, equipment, anything really. At home, our set of shelves has become home to more of my daughter's toys than my own records.

You've built a custom sound system for the space. What was the thinking behind that?

Frederik: We got very lucky working with our friend Markus, who builds sound systems under the name Familiesound. He built our system here and honestly, the result exceeded anything we hoped for.

Our brief was pretty straightforward: build something that works well for both daily office use and proper music events. Stereo point source to mirror a classic hi-fi setting. And make it fit the architecture of the space. All the units are made from beeswax-treated MDF, which has this honest, understated look. They're beautiful in themselves without trying too hard.

Jacob: Markus had been an admirer of Tom Danley ever since he first heard a synergy horn at a rave here in Copenhagen. So the main speakers are synergy horn inspired but tuned slightly lower than a classic PA top to work with the double 18" sub.

We use a DJ mixer from Resor because it sounds incredible, looks beautiful, and is just really satisfying to play on. But we're not dogmatic about any of this. Digital sources when they make sense, we're not hung up on only using tube amps or believing vinyl always sounds better. It's about the actual listening experience. Otherwise it's a bottomless pit. You can buy absurdly expensive cables and there'll still be 100 other things affecting the sound.

Frederik: The system uses modern DSP processing, which might sound technical, but basically means we can tune the sound specifically for this room. But the physical acoustics have been the most important part. This used to be a car workshop, all concrete and parallel surfaces, so we added absorption and fully soundproofed the entire ceiling. That made everything sound so good.

Jacob: If you're ever in Copenhagen, come by and listen. It's hard to describe in words; you just have to experience it.

You recently held an Open Studio event. What was that about?

Jacob: We opened the doors, invited some record labels and local sellers and had DJs playing throughout the day. The Oda installation was running inside, the Yuri Suzuki horns were playing in the courtyard. People could explore, dig through records, listen to things. We were curious if anyone would actually show up.

Frederik: They did, which was encouraging. It was a good mix of people too: kids and young people, older folks, all ages really. We designed a programme of DJs that started in the morning and ended after dark, which gave the day a special energy. People coming and going, different dynamics throughout.

Jacob: We like making things that speak to kids as much as adults. There's something important in that, not being overly precious or exclusive about who things are for. The horns in the courtyard, for instance. Kids are fascinated by them. Adults too, but in different ways.

Frederik: That's roughly what we'd hoped for. Not trying to create some exclusive thing, just seeing what happens when you open the space up to everyone.

You're thinking about different formats for future events?

Jacob: We are, yes. Listening sessions, talks, technical workshops on things like turntable setup or building speakers. It would be great to demystify some of this stuff. Audio can feel intimidating: all the jargon, the expense, the conflicting advice online. We want to provide practical knowledge in an accessible way. We're far from experts in a lot of this stuff ourselves. But we like working with people who know much more than we do, learning from them. Even if we tend to forget most of it afterwards. That's part of what we're hoping TYFC can be: a place where people can meet, exchange ideas, maybe get inspired to try something.

Frederik: Also intimate live sessions for local or international artists passing through. There's so much happening in Copenhagen: small independent radio stations, great venues, research into sound and acoustics, festivals. We're lucky to be surrounded by it. It could be interesting to bring people together across disciplines. There's so much art can learn from science and vice versa. Or someone dreaming about starting a small festival but not knowing how, while someone nearby knows exactly how to do it and would happily share that knowledge. Those connections don't always happen on their own.

Jacob: We both have small kids, so our nights out are pretty limited these days. Which makes this space feel more valuable. If we can't go out to things as much, maybe we can create a place where some of those connections happen. Where others in similar situations can access it too.

The Oda installation you mentioned, tell us more about that partnership.

Jacob: Nick Dangerfield runs Oda. They've developed these remarkable speakers: paper and fabric panels using distributed mode technology. Instead of directional beaming like conventional speakers, sound radiates naturally through the entire panel. Very different approach acoustically.

They place microphones in ecosystems they want to help protect, then stream that live audio to installations around the world. Not recordings. Actual live connection. Right now we're linked to the Macaw Sanctuary in Costa Rica.

Frederik: It's land that was regenerated from cattle grazing into forest over about 35 years. There are over 350 bird species now, 70 types of bats, frogs. When you're in our space, you're hearing what's happening there right now. Morning dawn chorus, afternoon bird activity, evening shift to frogs and crickets.

Humans have been surrounded by these natural soundscapes for thousands of years. There's research showing our nervous systems actually respond positively to it. Reduced stress, improved wellbeing. Makes intuitive sense when you sit with it.

The conservation model is what makes it meaningful beyond just being a nice listening experience. The people maintaining these ecosystems receive direct economic support through the installations. Fair compensation for protecting land that produces these sounds. Because natural sound is actually a scarce resource when you think about it. Most of what you find online are looped, artificial and commodified versions. With AI making fake nature sounds easier to produce, the demand for authentic, verifiable sound connected to actual conservation work becomes more important. And all the audio data contributes to bioacoustics research, monitoring ecosystem health through sound. So there are multiple layers of value beyond just the aesthetic experience.

Jacob: These ones are all handmade here in our studio in Copenhagen. Paper and fabric construction, very lightweight, sustainable materials. Each installation takes time to build properly, but the result is worth it. They also work beautifully as regular speakers for playing music, not just the live streams.

We're exploring, together with Nick, whether we can create a public listening room somewhere. Not a gallery or shop, just a space where people could come and sit and listen. A small break from the city. It might not work out, but we're interested in trying.

There's a thread through your work about making sound physical: furniture, speakers, installations.

Frederik: I suppose there is. Sound is invisible but it shapes everything about how we experience spaces. The objects that make sound possible, the shelves, speakers, the rooms themselves, they matter more than people sometimes realise.

Jacob: Or maybe we just enjoy making things and this is what interests us at the moment. Hard to say if there's a grand philosophy or if we're just following curiosity.

Frederik: Probably the latter, honestly. We're not terribly strategic about it.

What's your vision for TYFC over the next few years?

Jacob: Well, we're trying to stay flexible rather than lock into a rigid plan. But hopefully more events in different formats, expanding the Oda work, the upcoming projects with Yuri Suzuki. Building out the live session format, bringing international artists through but also showcasing local talent. Other collaborations probably.

Frederik: We're talking with various interesting people: designers, artists, researchers. Some of those conversations will develop into something, others won't. That's how it works. We're comfortable with that uncertainty.

The goal isn't to become a big operation. We like being small enough to take on projects that interest us, work with people we want to learn from, try things that might not make obvious commercial sense.

Jacob: That's partly what our father showed us through his work. You can stay small, follow what interests you, and still do meaningful work. Scale isn't always the point.

Last question: what are you listening to right now in the studio?

Jacob: Right now I'm listening to the live sound from the rainforest in Costa Rica, it's the afternoon there so a lot of the birds are active. It's become my default working sound, honestly.

Frederik: We have this massive record collection now but it's complete chaos. Totally unmanageable to navigate. We keep saying we'll organise it but we never do, so we end up just listening to the radio most of the time.

Jacob: Which is embarrassing to admit, but there it is. Maybe that's another reason to do listening sessions. They force us to actually pull records out deliberately instead of just letting them sit there.