Tembo is a playful drum machine that thinks it’s a checkerboard

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You move wooden tokens around a grid to build your beats.

You move wooden tokens around a grid to build your beats.

by Terrence O’BrienMar 11, 2026, 2:00 PM UTCTerrence O’Brien is the Verge’s weekend editor. He has over 18 years of experience, including 10 years as managing editor at Engadget.

Tembo looks like a toy, but one of those bougie wooden toys you get on Crate & Kids, not some cheap plastic garbage. Despite its appearance, it is a fully functional drum machine and sampler. Rather than a bunch of buttons and a screen, you build beats on Tembo

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