never heard of such a thing, and it doesn't look like a typical synth. Seems to me it almost looks like an early predecessor of FX processing units - has MIDI in, audio outs, and a few other bits. Even more now that I think about it, it looks like a physical ROM-pler. I wonder how it was actually controlled or utilized?

It was the prototype for what became the far more famous Fairlight CMI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairlight_CMI

WOW. Had no idea. the Fairlight is a really unique piece of gear. Nothing sounded like it at the time, and I'm sure there are still a handful of operational units scattered around some very big name studios.