A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya is taking a different route in music tech: instead of relying on AI-generated prompts, the startup is building compact apps that let people interact with sound in playful, hands-on ways.
Founded by Máuhan M Zonoozy, the company has secured a $5.5 million pre-seed round from investors including Mantis VC, SV Angel, BoxGroup, Quiet Capital, ERA, Common Metal, Gold House, Liquid 2 Ventures, Breakers VC, Systemic Ventures, and former Spotify executive Dawn Ostroff, who is also advising the team.
Zonoozy previously led innovation at Spotify and earlier founded Bubbl, a video clipping and remixing startup later acquired by Cricket Media. His new venture reflects a broader idea: music is not only something to stream, but something people should be able to shape and remix directly.
The startup has been releasing its products as a series of small experiments, almost like individual tracks in a larger project. Among them are Speed Surfer, a Chrome extension that alters playback speed and sound filters, Usersound, which turns usernames into melodies, and Stacks, a grid-based stem player for building mixes.
Other tools include Drops, where arranging plaques changes falling marbles into musical notes, and Sampler, a web experience that transforms YouTube videos into beat-based music tools. The company's more ambitious release is bop, an iOS app that lets users arrange instruments and effects on a grid, adjust tempo, and export creations for social platforms.
A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya is also developing a multiplayer remix feature and a future "musical sandbox mixer" that could let users design instruments and explore music creation in new ways. By keeping human interaction at the center, the startup is positioning itself as part of a future where creativity feels more participatory, personal, and accessible.
