The Suzuki Omnichord is being revived for the brand’s 70th anniversary

Gorillaz fans rejoice – Suzuki is set to re-release the Omnichord to celebrate its 70th anniversary.

The strummable electronic instrument tied elements of a guitar with a button accordion, and was revealed to have been the key element of Gorillaz’s track, Clint Eastwood, last month when Damon Albarn gave a studio tour to host Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1.

And Albarn isn’t the only artist to have toyed with the instrument – it’s also reportedly been used by the likes of Brian Eno, David Bowie, Joni Mitchell, Clairo, Eurythmics and more.

The peculiar-shaped model used an automatic accompaniment function (auto bass chord) equipped with a harp sensor to deliver its signature quirky sound, and it enabled users to play four-octave sounds to accompany a song,

On the Suzuki website, the brand says, “In the 1980s, the electronic musical instrument ‘Omnichord’ gained tremendous popularity among gadget-loving music lovers for its quirky look and tone.

“We have been receiving requests to resurrect the Omnichord for a long time. And this year, 2023, to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of Suzuki Musical Instruments Manufacturing, we will reproduce the Omnichord,” it reads.

Suzuki has said that it is scheduled to be released around the Autumn of 2023, with more information yet to come. It has not yet been confirmed which model of the Omnichord lineup will be released, and whether or not its features will vary from the originals.

We can only hope that Suzuki considers recruiting Clairo’s bandmates for a tutorial video of the instrument.

Keep up to date with the latest developments at suzukimusic-global.com.