So Real That It's Unreal

The musical deluge of April, 2013 has finally peaked. The epicentre and focusing of all elemental powers has exploded with a force that will be felt for generations to come. The storm of sounds through the month have all been a precursor to a a once-in-a-lifetime event of monumental brilliance.

Today, the 22nd of April 2013 will be remembered as the day the 80s inspired synth scene took it's next evolutionary step. Ushering in a brave new future of music with a bar raised so high the heavens themselves must crane their necks upwards to bear it's witness.

The release of So Real by Silent Gloves featuring Patrick Baker has arrived. A song I originally experienced late 2012 which has affected me deeply and moved me far beyond that which I thought was possible. Upon it's release we all have a chance to make this part of history our own and let it become a part of us forever.


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The perfect storm analogy runs deeper than most listeners to this opus will ever know as the story behind it's inception, creation and evolution was something I had the pleasure of experiencing first hand. The magic that occurred that night when the powers of the universe cast a beautiful muse to work her magic between Silent Gloves and Patrick Baker, live on Project Friday sparked a fire that glows with eternal presence and will forever be a torch, held aloft for the heart's of millions.

The song itself is something I'm still, after many, many listens trying to fully absorb. 'So Real' attains a perfection to an 80s inspired synth pop song that is something I'm unable to entirely fathom. Each element I attempt to dissect becomes a universe in itself that defies my understanding, every chord, word and beat  is like a blinding eclipse of brilliance one only retains a ghosted memory of upon further lamentation.

The combination of melody and vocal are inexorably tied together in a melding of emotional dimensions that run as passionate as they run deep. The instrumentations are the essence of everything that makes the 80s so magical, while sounding fresh but even more so, absolutely timeless. The longing emotion of every teenage crush, summer romance and adult love affair has been joined in an embrace that fills the unrequited need with an empathic anthem that will forever endure.

'So Real' is the reason why I listen to music. Purified into four minutes and forty four seconds is every dream, reality and possibility of emotional connection I could have for someone else, and it describes these feelings with an intimacy I hope I one day get to be made so real for myself. But this is what music is all about, it makes us feel something and conveys those deepest of emotions in ways that words fail at alone.

The 'So Real' EP is presented on Rosso Corsa Records Bandcamp page here and comes packaged with remixes from Sim0ne, Miami Nights 1984 and Mitch Murder. This single is not only one of the high points of 2013 but one of the biggest pleasures I've had listening to music, period. This is the definition of a Synthetix Reference Experience and I hope you allow it take you in it's eternal embrace as deeply as possible.

In reverence to this masterpiece this will be the only post on Synthetix.FM this week. Normal programming will continue with the next Weekend Update.

Get 2 Know Patrick Baker All Over Again

In my top tens that I did for 2012 Patrick Baker's song Get 2 Know U was my number one hit in the Synthetix Synth Pop Charts. This track has finally seen a full single release with the totally kick arse original mix and three sterling remixes. How much love can Synthetix give Patrick Baker? Not nearly enough, I believe.



Get 2 Know U is as authentic as it is pure. The authenticity of the arrangements and instrumentation are complemented by a purity of vocal, lyric and aesthetic that is uncommon in the 80s inspired synth pop scene. I've already gushed like a rabid teenage girl over the original mix of the song  here on Synthetix mid last year but it bears repeating how stunning the Get 2 Know U experience is. I can count on one hand the amount of acts that can do 80s synth pop as authentically as Patrick Baker and this song is one of the yardsticks by which all others are compared. Get 2 Know U is still one of the penultimate Synthetix Reference Experiences and being able to revisit with this gem just reinforces everything I've previously stated.

This single release is accompanied by three new remixes too, which shouldn't be understated in the slightest. In the glowing pink light of the original it would be hard to make a 'bad' remix of this song, but the three contained here add different dimensions to the experience like a prism reflecting and re-imagining the original experience.

First is the Televisor remix. The Televisor magic is very identifiable and when it works (like in their absolutely stunning Pin Up and Le Rock Francais) it becomes awe inspiring. Televisor's remix of Get 2 Know U is full of this magic and really tells a new story to song. It's a more measured approach, and refuses to march so voraciously into the glorious aural chintzyness of some of my favourite Televisor tracks. In doing this it makes for a beautiful balance in the sounds and never betrays the vocal sincerity. A truly wonderful combination of sounds and emotions.

Robots With Rayguns' take on Get 2 Know U travels a new path for the experience which is full of the trademark RWR sounds. This blending of new and old, with an always funky/elecro edge lends itself well to the source material. There is a new colour to the synth melodies with a more contemplative air that makes for a distinct atmosphere of coolness, control and cunning. The song jumps around a lot more however and this eclectic energy  replaces the smoothness of the original which works exceptionally well.

Jolie Cherie's remix provides another different vision, with a little bit more modern inspiration. This is by far the dreamiest of the remixes with sounds fading and melding into each other coupled with a repeated synth refrain that rises and falls with emotive majesty. This version builds a lot more than the others, forgoing the more song-structured format in favour of house-y flavour that changes dynamics dramatically. It's a bright and warm dream, with a lightness and sense of naivete that is massively enjoyable.

The Get 2 Know U EP is available on Beatport here and is thoroughly recommended as a must-have Synthetix Reference Experience to all fans of 80s inspired synth music of any denomination.

Here's to more rockin magic from Patrick Baker in 2013.

Synthetix Weekend Update

Another exceptional week in the world of 80s inspired synth has elapsed, here are some of the major highlights in this week's Weekend Update.

Busting out the big guns right up front is the exceptional new track from Le Matos. This Canadian producer blew me away a few years ago with his stellar Quiet Earth and he's back with avengeance with his amazing new experience Sarah. The power, action and emotion of the 80s done to perfection.




Evanton's really becoming an act to be reckoned with in the field of 80s italo funk. This is now his thrid hit in a row on Synthetix: Flash! Another piece of disco funk brilliance that builds marvellously. Flash! will be released on the Magnetron EP soon, expect full coverage on Synthetix upon it's release.




DreamWave Dave is back with another 80s experiment in synth/guitar disco with Heatwave L.A.. This composition rocks a more indie pop synth angle, especially with it's bassline. The main thing is that it rocks and this is something it most certainly does do in spades. Available for FREE download too!




Silenx brought more 80s outrun action synth love into the world with his killer new single The Chase. This producer's sounds are always beautifully refined and the layer of gloss on this piece is no exception. I'm a HUGE sucker for key changes and this track has one of the most perfectly executed ones I've had the pleasure of experiencing in recent times.




Keeping the energy level at fever pitch is a new demo for Arc Neon's new piece No Going Back. The action enhances an inquisitive air that probes in many directions. I love the journey this takes the listener on and am greatly looking forward to it's further evolution.




Another exciting release to look forward to is Hot Hot Hawk and Patrick Baker's new venture Electric Touch. I get a bit too excited about anything Patrick Baker gets involved in, he seems to bring out my inner 80s teenage girl and every time I hear his music I want to put Patrick Baker posters up on my bedroom wall and go down the mall to talk to my friends about how dreamy he is. But I must digress as this piece promises Baker but is currently Baker-less, however even in this Baker-less form it's a gorgeous high energy synth pop experience and even truncated to a forty five second teaser is  massively promising.




Garth Knight's expanding his horizon's with a modern electro take on an electro funk 80s vibe that runs through his Transformer's inspired new single Galvatron. The bass slaps you in the face and the synths stab with robotic precision. Superb work.




Keeping with the 80s cartoon theme, Greetings Program released a scintillating rendition of the ending theme from Voltron. Epic and triumphant, just like the original and certainly full of that Greetings Program magic.




Ensuring that everything is 'right' with the world is the release of another beautiful synthsperience from LA Dreams. Glowing melodies and flawless arrangements are becoming standard fare with LA Dreams and Coast is no exception. Totally engaging synth romance of the highest calibre.




A new artist has surfaced through the Synthetix community on Facebook under the monicker 1985. Smooth disco synth sounds are what 1985 is all about and this producer has all the right moves. The track is available to buy on Bandcamp, I'm hoping this is the first of many new experiences from 1985.



Our final piece of synthtacular 80s magnifcence comes from another killer collaboration between Starforce and Dynatron. These guys work so well together I think they should seriously consider making a supergroup together. This new work cements this further as Celestial Time Lapse is a mirage of a million dimensions that defies the laws of space and time. The stella carresses of every moment of this track are sublime. If there ever becomes a fulltime DynaForce or StarTron I'll be first in line for a lifetime membership.




And that's us done for another huge week of 80s inspired synth music on Synthetix. I hope you've found some new favourites and rekindled some old memories, I'll be back again with more rockin action next week.

Synthetix Weekend Update

This Weekend Update is also the 150th post on Synthetix. It's a bit of a milestone, and the success I've had on here is something I'm very grateful for. The entire point of Synthetix was to give a home for modern 80s inpsired synth music, I was at the point where I was getting a bit tired of going through tens of blogs every week in the hope of finding one or two killer 80s sounding tracks and really just wanted to make a place on the internet where this was all that was being covered.

This place became a reality in no small part thanks to Facebook. Through hooking up on there with producers and fans on there we've made a community that is genuinely something I'm elated to be a part of. It's the sharing of music, ideas and other inspirations that makes the scene grow and develop. New producers crop up with wondrous regularity and established artists are constantly refining and developing their own sounds.

So what about the future? Synthetix is all about looking to the past as far music goes, but I'm looking to push Synthetix into more modern contexts in the future. I've got a lot of cool ideas for regular features and promotions coming up before the year's end which I hope all my readers enjoy. Synythetix has been picked up on Hype Machine too, which is great sign that I'm on the right track. It's an exciting time to be a fan of this music and I want to keep that excitement running as high as possible for as long as possible.

I'd like to thank all the people out there reading Synthetix and all the members of the Synthetix Facebook community who are a huge part of what makes this place as relevant as it is.

Here's to rockin hard for the next 150 posts and without further delay, heres this week's Weekend Update.

First up we have a killer new preview for the upcoming 12" EP release from Flemming Dalum and Kid Machine. These guys have made a powerful sounding brand of dark italo that really resonates. The EP is due out soon on Red Laser Records and will be a  release I'll be sure to cover on here when it's out.




A new artist I've just had the pleasure of experiencing for the first time is Synthaesthete. His second track is The City At Night and this proves to be a very exciting track. Moody, but still vibrant theres a delicate soul to this piece. Everything about this works exceptionally well and his understanding of what makes for quality 80s sounds is marvellous. Definitely someone I'll be keeping a close eye on.




It's always a red letter day when we get new Jordan F music and his latest single, Under The Sun, is no exception. Jordan keeps exploring his craft and refining his sounds in each new track. There's a real warmth, no pun intended, with this artists recent work making it feel light years away from his darker period with the likes of Abandoned Streets. Jordan F's always been one of the leading producers in the scene and this new track reaffirms why this is so.




Another bright star in the sky is, of course, LA Dreams. This rocker just can't stop making amazing music and the highlight from his work this week has been Jamie's Coming Over. More gorgeous synth romance from the genre's master. Spellbinding to the max.




The big guns keep on firing in this Weekend Update with a totally amazing new track from Professor Zonic Zynth. Ashley's Theme finds the Professor leaving his usual electro funk sounds for a bit of strawberry flavoured synth romance. This comes off brilliantly and, once again, his chourus work is absoloutely staggering. With any luck we'll be seeing this producers on soundcloud soon too.




This next song promises to be one of my Top 10 favourites of 2012. The combined talents of Silent Gloves and heart throb extraordinaire Patrick Baker has resulted in pure 80s pop gold with the title So Real. The short preview here is stunning, and after hearing the exclusive full cut on Project Friday (listen LIVE here every Friday night U.S time for more rockin action)  I'm thoroughly convinced this will be massive for both artists. Til the official release though this preview will have to suffice.




Keeping the Jordan F love bubbling over we have a phenomonal remix from Vincenzo Salvia of Jordan's track Aurora. I loved the original version and also love Vincenzo's reenvisioning. The extra sparkling layers of bright synths take Aurora directly into the heavens. I'll be giving Vincenzo Salvia's new EP, The Chase, the full Synthetix treatment next week too.




Our final piece of 80s loving in this 150th post on Synthetix is something special. This collective of artists working under the k-rad monicker of Chrome Brulee have made one of the greatest promo videos I've ever seen. I'm hoping this will result in an album sometime soon, whatever way this project goes  I'll definitely be making sure I closely follow Chrome Brulee in the future.




That's us done for 150 posts on Synthetix, I hope you've had as much fun as I have and I look forward to experiencing more glorious 80s inspired synth music with you soon. Til then, stay 80s and keep on rockin.

Synthetix Weekend Update

It's been what I'd call a Perfect Week in the 80s inspired synth music scene. Lots of great releases, exciting teasers and more new artists appearing. We had some incredible new music this past week and this Weekend Update is brimming over with even more!

New music from Spaceship Star has just surfaced with the excellent title of Space Is Died. This moody piece feels a bit 70s prog inspired and a luna dirge rife with powerful emotions. It's been a while since we've heard from this act and I'm loving these newly developed sounds.




One of the new bands I've had the pleasure of experiencing this week comes in the form of  Some Desperate Glory and their totally rockin song The Devil's In The Details. These guys are totally killing the classic early to mid 80s UK synthpop sound with totally perfect sounds and melodies. The vocals are also a magnificent example capturing the spirit of the true 80s sounds. I'm really looking forward to hearing more from this thrilling band.




Final DJ's new release entitled Synthopia exploded this week and is another work of French Touch flavoured 80s synth love. This duo always manage to get the balance of classic and modern sounds just right, and always with massive emotion throught the melodies. This track is part of the So French Records Summer Compilation, so please support them by following the links in the player.




Serial electro rocker, Flash Arnold shared a scintillating new track with us this week entitled The Streets Of Metropolis. The trademark Flash Arnold synth sounds are complimented beautifully with orchestral stabs and massive percussion. Another masterwork from one of the scene's brightest starts.




Another impressive new act made themselves aware to me this week and their brand of killer 80s synth pop is something very enthralling. Public Different's track Emergency from their Vulgar Refund Of The Proverbial Shock is a driving synth scape filled with delicate nuances and emotive melodies. I hope that this brand of 80s inspired music is something they stick with in the future as they do it very well indeed.




One of my new favourites in the scene is SellorekT/LA Dreams, who from this point on this site will be referred to as LA Dreams . This artist is blowing my mind with every new track he releases, the fact that theres numerous of these masterpieces released every week is even more mind blowing. My favourite of his releases this week is '84 Crush. Magnificently arranged and detailled throughout this is another surefire 80s heartstealer. With all these tracks out I'm really hoping an album from LA Dreams isn't far off.




80s dreamboat synthpop master Patrick Baker got thousands of teenage hearts swooning this week with a teaser release of his next number 1 hit Whatever It Takes. This is pure 80s pop gold, in the inimitiable Patrick Baker style. It's marvellous to hear the sax making a return appearance in this new song too. Super cool and rockin hard, brilliance is here.




I'd like to finish of this week's Weekend Update with a killer new video from Classique. This video document's Classique visiting Flashworx in Geneva and is set the FLashworx remix of Futurecop!'s Karate Kids. These video producers will be doing lots more work in the 80s inspired synth scene in the future and I look forward to sharing more Classique experiences with you in the future on Synthetix.




That does us for a massively rockin week I hope I get to see you on here over the next 7 days on the internet's premiere 80s inspired music site.

Patrick Baker Gets 2 Know You

I've said it numerous times on this blog in the past, and I'm sure I'll say it many times in the future, that it's very, very hard for modern producers to totally nail the 80s synth pop sound when it comes to full band sounds and especially vocals. When it's done right, however, it's a true epiphany and Patrick Baker's new song Get 2 Know U is that epiphany actualised.



Right from the get go this song is a sugar rush of synthesized delicacies. Patrick brings in a great vocal style that really shines throughout the song. Verses and choruses are delivered in a totally authentic manner. Angsty, pouty, suggestive, but always with that boy-next-door element. The chorus itself is an infectious piece of brilliance, in fact all the arrangements are 1000% accurate and engineered to please.

The breakdowns, bridges and the absolutely stunning sax solo all combine to make the perfect 80s synth pop song. Such a fulfilling experience is uncommon these days, I often hear tracks that are so powerful and passionate that they don't require a vocal but Get 2 Know U just goes to show how 80s music should be done in no uncertain terms.

I'll be following Patrick Baker like a Duran Duran groupie in 1983 and I hope you will too on his soundcloud here and his Facebook page here.