Elektron was founded in 1998 by three students at Chalmers University of Technology. Its first product was the SidStation, which found popularity for its retro sound. Its next, the Machinedrum drum machine, was released in 2002 and introduced several features that became standard in Elektron instruments.
The Octatrack, a sampler, was released in 2010 and became a bestseller. From 2012, Elektron introduced a series of analogue instruments, the Analog Four, Analog Keys and Analog Rytm. These were followed by a range of more compact instruments, the Digitakt, Digitone and Syntakt.
Elektron was founded in 1997 as a class project by Daniel Hansson, Anders Garder and Mikael Raim while they were students at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. Their first product was the SidStation synthesiser, released in 1999, which used the MOS Technology SID chip from the 1982 Commodore 64 home computer. It was popular for its unique features and its retro sound, which evoked old video game soundtracks.
Machinedrum and Octatrack
From top: SidStation (1999), Machinedrum SPS-1 (2002), Octatrack (2011)
The next Elektron product, the Machinedrum drum machine, was released in 2002. It introduced several features that became standard in Elektron products, such as parameter-locking, which allows users to adjust settings for individual steps in a sequence. The Machinedrum could create more complex beats than other drum machines at the time and helped popularise Elektron globally.
In 2009, Jonas Hillman joined Elektron as a manger and investor, and later became the CEO and majority owner. Under Hillman, Elektron opened offices in Los Angeles and Tokyo. In 2010, Elektron released a sampler, the Octatrack. MusicTech described it as Elektron's most famous design and its longest-running product; it was still in production as of 2024. Following the release of the Octatrack, Elektron began generating multi-million dollar sales.
Analogue synthesis
In 2012, Elektron released its first analogue instrument, the Analog Four synthesiser. It was followed by the Analog Keys synthesiser in 2013 and the Analog Rytm drum machine in 2014. According to MusicTech, the Analog instruments are among Elektron's "most beloved devices".
Between 2013 and 2014, Elektron sales doubled and profits almost quadrupled. It made a profit of SEK 4.3 million in 2013 and 1.1 million in 2014. As of 2015, Elektron had 42 employees. Its products were built and assembled in Borås, with plans to convert a warehouse into a factory. That year, Elektron released the Overbridge software, which allows its instruments to be connected to computers via USB.
Digitakt, Digitone Keys and Syntakt
In 2017, Elektron released the Analog Heat, a sound processing unit. In the same year, Elektron announced the Digitakt, a combined drum machine and sampler. It marked a move to more compact instruments, followed in 2018 by the Digitone Keys synthesiser. In 2018, Elektron released the Digitone, its first FM synthesiser. It offers a simplified structure and user interface compared to FM synthesisers such as the Yamaha DX7, with limited ratio values making it easier to create "tonal, harmonically coherent" sounds.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, when sales of electronic musical equipment increased, the online marketplace Reverb reported a particular increase in Elektron orders. Jim Tuerk, Reverb's business development director, said Elektron instruments were "intricate pieces of gear and require more time to master" and that the sales suggested people were making more complex music at home. The Digitakt was the highest-selling electronic instrument on Reverb that year.
In 2022, Elektron released the Syntakt, combining analogue and digital elements of previous instruments. The Digitakt II, with expanded sequencer length, storage and RAM, was released in 2024. In 2025, Elektron released the Digitone II, with additional drum machine and analogue synthesiser functions.
As of 2026, Alexander Hellström was the Elektron CEO. On 8 April, Elektron was acquired by the investment firm Bonnier Capital. Elektron said there were no plans for layoffs or restructuring and that their product plans had not changed. In September, Elektron announced the Outbox 8, a means to connect electronic instruments, effects and mixers visa USB, MIDI or CV/gate.
