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Sonos Play:5 Beastie Boys Edition Brings Epic Sound to Live & Direct Tour

SONO | October 23, 2018

Sonos Play:5 Beastie Boys Edition Brings Epic Sound to Live & Direct Tour

Collaboration celebrates hip-hop pioneers with a new speaker design by artist Barry McGee

Today, Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) unveiled its exclusive collaboration with one of the most influential and iconoclastic artists in global music culture, Beastie Boys. Honoring the creative spirit of the inventive New York trio, in conjunction with the release of Beastie Boys Book, Sonos has collaborated with Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz, Michael “Mike D” Diamond, and San Francisco-based artist, Barry McGee – on a strictly limited Sonos Play:5 Beastie Boys Edition speaker, with all proceeds going to charity.

The Sonos mission is to empower the world to listen better, but it is also deeply focused on contributing to culture, enabling access to music, and music education, so proceeds from the collaboration will be given to Peace Sisters and Little Kids Rock in the name of the Adam Yauch Foundation, along with a sizeable product donation.

“It’s no coincidence that the first song ever played out loud on a Sonos was ‘No Sleep till Brooklyn’. Beastie Boys are a revered and inspirational force in music, with a legacy we are incredibly grateful to support through this exclusive collaboration, celebrating the work and philosophies we respect enormously,” said Brian Beck, Sonos Global Head of Music.

For the design, Barry McGee decided to reference the intricate wordplay and evolutionary identity associated with an ever-changing artist, that spliced genres and shattered boundaries since starting out as a hardcore punk band in 1979. Creating a new, linear typeface for the band, the bold graphic is applied in red to the grille of a monochromatic white Sonos Play:5, creating an abstract, yet striking product.

"Beastie Boys always adapted their style to each moment, and the albums get better with time. I wanted to use graphics in the same spirit - something abrasive that rewards a closer look. The speaker has a pretty contemporary and clean design, so I used a pattern that disrupts the front of the speaker, but still complements it," McGee said.

The Sonos Play:5 Beastie Boys Edition will debut during Beastie Boys Book: Live & Direct tour that kicks off in New York City on Monday, Oct. 29, with shows in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and London, UK. Each night of Beastie Boys Book: Live & Direct tour will feature readings, conversations between Mike D, Ad-Rock, a special “slide show” and more surprises – all with a live score provided by Mix Master Mike – and a brand new Beastie Boys exhibit. Sonos will provide the sound experience at each event, playing a mixtape curated by Ad-Rock and Mike D, but will also give fans at each location the chance to win a special signed version of the speaker.

“When I grew up in New York, we’d discover new music anywhere from a DJ in a club, to a boombox in the street or subway, or a taxi driver’s radio—all of which involved leaving the house. These days, with help from Sonos, you can access all the music you want at any time and in the highest fidelity, in your bathrobe and slippers, or your finest silk smoking jacket,” Mike D said. “Whatever you’re wearing, we look forward to hopefully turning you on to our custom-curated playlists—and thanks to Barry McGee, the source of the sounds will look just as sweet.”

Priced at $499 USD, the Sonos Play:5 Beastie Boys Edition will be available in Dec. 2018 on sonos.com, at the Sonos flagship store in NYC, as well as select retailers worldwide. For more information please visit sonos.com/beastieboys.

Beastie Boys Book

Written by Ad-Rock and Mike D, with contributions from Amy Poehler, Colson Whitehead, Spike Jonze, Wes Anderson, Luc Sante, and more, Beastie Boys Book is a panoramic experience that tells the story of Beastie Boys for the first time in the band members’ own words.

Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz and Michael “Mike D” Diamond offer revealing and very funny accounts of their transition from teenage punks to budding rappers; their early collaboration with Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin; the debut album that became the first hip hop record ever to hit #1, Licensed to Ill—and the album’s messy fallout as the band broke with Def Jam; their move to Los Angeles and rebirth with the genre-defying masterpiece, Paul’s Boutique; their evolution as musicians and social activists over the course of the classic albums Check Your Head, Ill Communication, and Hello Nasty, and the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits conceived by the late Adam “MCA” Yauch, and more.

With a style as distinctive and eclectic as a Beastie Boys album, Beastie Boys Book is so much more than a musicians’ memoir. Alongside Horovitz and Diamond’s personal recollections are an overwhelming assortment of rare photos and original illustrations, a cookbook by chef Roy Choi, a graphic novel, a map of Beastie Boys’ New York, mixtape playlists, and many more surprises. Fans can also listen to an audiobook edition of Beastie Boys Book – which can be enjoyed on any Sonos speaker through Audible – read by the authors themselves and an all-star full cast. Beastie Boys Book releases on Tuesday, Oct. 30, and pre-order is available at beastieboysbook.com.

About Sonos

Sonos (Nasdaq: SONO) is the leading multi-room smart home sound system. As the inventor of multi-room wireless home audio, Sonos innovation helps the world listen better by giving people access to the content they love and allowing them to control it however they choose. Known for delivering an unparalleled music listening experience, thoughtful home design aesthetic, simplicity of use, and an open platform, Sonos makes the breadth of sonic content available to anyone. Sonos is headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. Learn more at sonos.com.