#eventually the instrumentals and musics start changing as plato becomes more comfortable in his own skin

[thebandcampdiaries]

Syne - Midas

A new release with a focus on combining clever arrangements with baroque melodies and lush vocal harmonies.

Syne is an artist based in Houston, Texas. He has a passion for combining instinct with innovation. His music is extremely kaleidoscopic and diverse, channeling a broad range of influences and ideas.

Recently, he set out to release a new ambitious single, “Midas.” The song blurs the lines between a wide range of styles and ideas - from pop to electronica and progressive music, anything goes.

Syne is a purveyor of hypnotic synth textures, as well as crisp electronic beats with a punchy edge. His work on “Midas” showcases a diverse creative approach, as well as the artist’s ability to approach pop music with somewhat of a progressive edge.

One of the most striking features of “Midas” is definitely the fact that the song has many twists and turns. This isn’t your average electro-pop jam. On the other hand, it explores various sonic depths, going for a broad range of sounds.

The drum machine beats are reminiscent of some of those classic 808 tones, with a classic analog warmth that adds character to this release. The synth melodies have a warm retro charm, giving the song a distinctive color.

Last, but definitely not least, the vocals truly shine under the spotlight. Syne is a master at creating complex, yet very direct vocal melodies. His lines are adorned with beautiful harmonies, which add a lot of depth and richness to the textures of the song. At its core, this release embodies the warmth of vintage aesthetics, but it also has a cool modern sound, so it brings the best of both worlds together in a massive way.

In terms of production and recording, the song is also quite outstanding. This release has a big, larger-than-life vibe, which really blurs the lines between indie aesthetics and massive pop anthems. As a result, the song appeals to a truly broad range of listeners, pleasing indie/alternative music fans as well as suckers for a good chart-topping hit!

For those who might not know, “Midas” is named after the legendary king of Phyrgia. He was so obsessed with becoming as wealthy as possible, that he was endowed by the god Dionysus with the power of turning everything he touched into gold. Initially, “Midas” was extremely pleased. However, it did not take long for the king to realize that turning everything to gold was not necessarily just a blessing, but also a curse. This track uses this reference as a powerful metaphor in order to explore other deep topics in life.

So many times, we fail to see the real value of the things that are within reach, and we always seek to achieve wealth, fame or status in any other ways, without realizing that most of the best things we’ll ever have are what we already have. Our relationships, our values, our spirit. Not being able to crawl into the mind of the artist, this is my personal interpretation from listening to the song, which is actually very evocative, and if you want to get the full listening experience, you should definitely check out the track’s beautiful music video as well. The video adds deeper layers to the mix, giving the audience a much more immersive experience.

In addition to the song’s unique style and feel, Syne matched the beauty of this track with an equally impressive music video. The film is essentially an animated feature, with bright and dynamic visuals that perfectly complement the aesthetics of the music as well. The video actually works well with the song, because “Midas” has a strong cinematic feel, which is highlighted by the beautiful animation. Syne’s music style reminds of the work of influential composers such as Hans Zimmer or Danny Elfman, particularly in the way the artist utilizes deep textures and a stunning variety of sounds.

Ultimately, I’d definitely recommend this release to any fan of music that’s accessible.

Fans of artists such as Gotye, Alt J, Radiohead, James Blake, Son Lux, and Glass Animals are definitely going to enjoy this particular single, so don’t let it fall under your radar.

Find out more about Syne, and check out “Midas” via the following link

www.syneverse.com

We also had the chance to interview Syne: keep reading for more!

I love how you manage to render your tracks so personal and organic. Does the melody come first, or do you focus on the beat the most?

Answer:  

Thank you.  My process for composing varies, but I’m pretty melody-driven, and my main instrument is the piano, so much of the time I start by playing around on the piano and improvising melodies until I have something that I like.  Then I build on that, adding other elements like percussion, strings, synths.  Other times though, I may be experimenting with different virtual instruments and create a beat or find a sound that I really like and try to build a melody around that, or sometimes I’ll have some lyrics that I’ve written and try to build the song around that.  

Do you perform live? If so, do you feel more comfortable on a stage or within the walls of the recording studio?

Answer:  

I’ve been performing on stage since I was 9, though in a different context.  My career in the arts actually began in children’s entertainment and performance, and I’ve performed with acts like Barney and The Wiggles in arenas and venues like Radio City Hall and in different parts of the world like Canada, Mexico, the US, and Australia.  I’ve also performed as a musician and singer for many different kinds of acts and in different genres, playing piano, djembe, Latin percussion, or guitar with different bands, doing solo performances and singing my own compositions or other music ranging from Frank Sinatra in English to Mexican mariachi music and José José ballads in Spanish, and other kinds of gigs.

However, throughout the years, I’ve realized that my true passion is creating, and even though I’ve had plenty of experience performing, I’d say that I’m most comfortable producing music in my own recording space.  I haven’t performed as Syne yet, and right now I’m focusing on creating rather than performing, but it may be something I do down the line.

If you could only pick one song to make a “first impression” on a new listener, which song would you pick and why?

Answer:  

That’s a tough one.  I really like how “Midas" turned out, and I’m also really excited to share a few of my upcoming ones like “Plato’s Cave”, “Fall of Icarus”, and “Forget the Borderlines”, but I think that the first song, “Siddhartha”, is one of my favorite ones, and I think the message of learning how to deal with change is one that everyone can relate to and one that has resonated with many people.  Also, I think the aesthetics of the music and the visuals represent the concept of Syne well, so I’d probably go with “Siddhartha”.  You can check out the music video for “Siddhartha” here: https://youtu.be/Uu46SO0F1Ts

What does it take to be “innovative” in music?

Answer:

I believe there’s no such thing as an idea that’s 100% new.  We can’t create something that’s purely original, but what we can do is create new and unique ways of combining elements.  So at first, you have to do a lot of copying.  I don’t mean plagiarizing other people’s work, but using the work of other great artists as inspiration, and practice copying or imitating different styles and techniques.  The wider and more diverse your sources are, the better.  Eventually, you start to understand how different elements make up a whole of something, and you get better and better at breaking them down and mixing them up in different ways.  This is how you create your own style.  

And this is why I think it’s vital to listen to as many different genres and artists as possible and to study different styles.  I was lucky enough to have parents who exposed me to all kinds of music, and so my taste in music is very diverse.  

But it shouldn’t stop with music; I think you should expose yourself to as many things as you can and try to expand your interests.  Read about history, mythology, astrophysics, or philosophy, take courses or watch tutorials on animation, photography, graphic design, or illustration.  

Learn about a new instrument, like the bouzouki or the balalaika.  Read about different cultures and new technologies.  Be curious, read and listen a lot, be open to learning new things.  All of this exposes you to different perspectives and tools that you can use as elements to dissect and put together in unique ways.

The word “kaleidoscope” has been used a few times now to refer to my music, and I like that word because I think it’s a good way to describe how creativity and innovation happen.

Mark Twain said it best: “There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope…”

Any upcoming release or tour your way?

Answer:

I am currently working on my next two music video releases, “Forget The Borderlines” and “Plato’s Cave".  “Forget The Borderlines” is a departure from the animated music videos I’ve been making and uses real-world footage.  The theme is about coming together as one human race and putting our differences aside, and I wanted the visuals to be a very direct representation of current social and political issues and events that people have been experiencing around the world.  “Plato’s Cave, like my previous two music videos, “is an animated video, but this one is much more complex and is taking a lot more time and work.  This song was actually was where the concept of Syne began, and this will also be the first time I feature my main “Syne” characters onscreen, so I’m particularly excited about this one.  

I’ve also been working on an illustrated poetry book for a while now, hoping to release it at some point in the near future.  It’s called Mr. Pendlum’s Compendium of Illustrated Verse from the Multiverse, and it contains poems that I wrote and also illustrated.  The book is essentially a compilation of my many interests, and the topics range from astrophysics to psychology, ancient history to artificial intelligence, and much more.

I have a second book on the way as well, this one with quirky illustrations paired with silly micro poems and more profound quotes.

Aside from that, I’m working on several other songs that I’ll use as mini-releases, some with vocals and some purely instrumental, which I also hope to create videos for down the line.  It’s a very busy time, but I love creating, so I enjoy every bit of it, even the times when it gets frustrating.

Anywhere online where curious fans can listen to your music and find out more about you?

Answer:  

Yes, of course, you can find my music, videos, art, poetry, and blog at syneverse.com

If you have Insta, Facebook, Soundcloud, or Twitter, I like keeping in touch!  You can find me @syneverse on all platforms.