A new innovative voice in the global music market, SYNCIA is a music producer and DJ who is fast becoming a name to watch in 2023. Positioning No.1 on the Traxsource Techno Chart with his debut release on his own imprint Taikomochi Records is testament to his dancefloor focussed energy.
Already signing music to Studio 338’s Release label, Sankeys and Kneaded Pains, remixing a slew of classic cuts from Dense & Pika to Soul Central’s global House anthem ‘Strings Of Life’ SYNCIA is fast creating a sizable impact on the scene this year. With a sound that is rapidly becoming a firm favourite of Jamie Jones, Nicole Moudaber, Dombreski and Sarah Story of BBC Radio 1 Future Dance show. SYNCIA delivers weighty tracks that instantly tear up any club or festival with a well seasoned edge.
DMCWORLD dives in for a world exclusive as he is about to jump into the Ibiza party season…
Introduce yourself, who exactly is SYNCIA?
Hi, I’m Matt and I go by a couple of artist names, some of which I release under and other pseudonyms I use for when I produce on behalf or with other artists. Syncia is a recent incarnation that permits me complete musical freedom to put out music that encompasses all my tastes, from harder edged techno to UK Bass.
What first inspired you to become a producer?
As a kid in the 80’s I had an uncle that was an aspiring musician and he had a Tascam 4 track, a Roland SH101 and a zoom effects pedal for his guitar and he would bust out demos and it was truly fascinating and I would sit and watch and listen for hours. At a young age I began DJing and dreamt of making music but it always seemed financially out of reach, l then heard what the US house guys were making and seeing Todd Terry play at a club in the UK and he had stacks of dubplates of things he had made and that blew my mind seeing a DJ and Producer all in one. Then I got the hunger from seeing how all of these DJ and remixers coming out of the Strictly Rhythm and Henry Street Camp were taking old disco cuts, sampling them and making these heavy club hits. That I think is where the main inspiration came from, peppering this with a love of hip hop and 80’s synth pop, it all felt very DIY and achievable.
How did your last single Tell Me track come about??
I would play the original track from 93 and always loved it, when I would play it alongside modern tracks I always felt it lacked the fidelity, punch and loudness that we are all so familiar with so I dug out the DX7 and found the Clav sound for the stab and set about remaking the track and then I found a local vocalist called Faith to help with the vocal, we changed some of the lyrics slightly but kept a relatively similar structure and hey presto it was born.
This is a key release for you, tell us more about the vibe behind it.
This track means a lot to me having soundtracked my youth, coming from a rave background it felt that recently there has been a resurgence of this sound through the likes of Eats Everything and Fatboy Slim’s “History of Rave” so the timing felt right to introduce a new era of club goers to track that has a killer vocal and uplifting piano.
What’s your ideal vision for your music career when it comes to labels or dream gigs?
I love seeing people dance and let themselves go in a dark room with a killer soundsystem, I still get the excitement today as I did the first time I entered a club, for me I would love to play Stereo Montreal, Rex in Paris, Berghain obs and at the end of July I am playing at 338 in London which to be fair is a dream come true. Labels are interesting as I think there needs to be an affinity with the catalog and I am really pleased to have tracks coming out on Kneaded Pains as the guys really know there tracks, audience and stand for a level of quality that I think is lacking oftentimes as people rush to put as much out as possible.
Which instrument did you first play and at what age?
Recorder! Like most school children in the UK, at the age of 5 or 6 a recorder is thrust into the grubby hands of a classroom full of kids as they all screech their way through Frere Jacque. I have a piano teacher still to this day but I am by no means an accomplished pianist but I can butcher my way through. I typically invite more accomplished musicians in to my studio and either sing to them what I am hearing in my head or play them a basic idea that we then develop together.
Were your family supportive in your formative music career?
My mum has always been very supportive and musically diverse, introducing me to many genres of music and styles but like all mums they always want you to have something to fall back on, luckily I have had a successful career alongside music and have now been able to take a step away from the day to day job and focus purely on music.
Outside of music, what else makes you tick?
I love making things and have always tinkered with cars, I am ever so close to finishing a restoration of a Cobra which is rather exciting.
You’ve produced under many monikers and achieved some varied success in the past, how does this influence your current sound?
Working across multiple genres and with various artists means you pick up lots of different skills and techniques that might not have been available had I just stayed in the house music lane that I began in. Working with Hip Hop and rap certainly taught me about the relationship with kicks and 808 bass, pop music helped me craft better songs that have memorable hooks and some of the soundtracks taught me about soundscapes, space and depth. This cross pollination is evident in all the music I make whether I consciously think about it or not.
What would be your perfect collaboration?
Gosh, perfect or dream? Perfect I think Dave Taylor (Switch) because his rawness and sheer mind melting ability to take sounds and manipulate them into serious heavy artillery still blows me away today. Dream, most likely Hans Zimmer or Pharrell, although I am sure I would be of little to no use to either of them apart from making a killer cup of tea.
Talk us through your creative process….
If it’s a personal project it typically starts with a kick drum and a spark of inspiration from somewhere, I usually program drums first and then craft sounds around that. So it could have been something I heard one of my kids play and I think that sounds cool and I go and sit in the studio and crack on. Or its a brief from a client where they specifically want something to sound like XYZ or they have an idea that needs fleshing out. I work really quickly and my studio is geared towards speed and getting to the finished track as quickly as possible and then moving on to the next, I then go back to things a couple of days later having listened to them on my dog walk and then go in and make changes.
Your socials hint you’re full of character, highly creative and love the lighter side of life… tell us more
Born and raised in Yorkshire where taking the piss is a professional pastime and that’s always stayed with me. I’m serious when needed but most of the time I want those around me to have as much fun as possible and that makes me happy.
What’s the story behind your artist name?
Syncia (Sincere as I pronounce it) popped into my head as I was hunting for a pseudonym as I was playing around with Synesthesia and a quick google later led me to a couple of posts where some said it was of chinese origin and meant Star and some said kenyan origin meaning blue sunflower and I thought that’s OK with me.
What’s something we don’t already know about SYNCIA?
When I was 7 I had my nosebleed stopped backstage at a pantomime by a page 3 girl dressed as a fairy.
You’ve gained support from a lot of heavyweight DJ’s historically, what’s your takeaway from this?
Keep making bangers that move peoples feet, don’t be a douche and share the music that you’ve made or it will stagnate on a hard drive and you’ll never know if its a hit.
Do you have any weaknesses you’re actively trying to improve?
Poor studio posture! Get a good chair and stretch, do Yoga and don’t slouch.
Which piece of studio kit is your favourite and why?
The most boring but important thing in my studio is the Trinnov, everything feeds through it and it’s what makes the room the most accurate sounding it can be, so I know that what’s coming out of the monitors is how it actually sounds. It was a game changer in giving me confidence in knowing that if it sounds good in my room it will translate to pretty much any system.
What is it about music that excites you most?
It’s pure emotion, it can make you euphoric or pensive, it’s the full spectrum of emotion brought to life through sound and it can connect and unite people and it can divide opinion. Being able to craft something that embodies how I may be feeling and seeing that affect someone else is pure joy.
Give us 3 of your favourite songs, past or present…
Chic – I Want Your Love = Perfect from start to finish.
Bizet – Carmen = Strong memories of my mum introducing me to classical music
Max Richter – On the Nature of Daylight = Emotional rollercoaster
What advice would you pass onto younger generations?
Don’t watch too many youtube tutorials and listen to do’s and don’ts of how to make XYZ genre of music, they are a rabbit hole of conflicting information and nothing is peer reviewed. Make what you want, how you want it and let your creativity flow.
What’s the best piece of advice another person ever gave you?
You can only control what comes out of your mouth, not what comes out of others! Basically don’t gossip.
DJs are often great Chefs with creativity in their blood. Is this the case for you?
Yep, I cook everything for my family and often host many a meal in my kitchen, I recently had an extension built and designed the kitchen from the ground up with my needs and every whim catered for (pardon the pun).
Favourite food and how it makes you feel…
I’ve been on a plant based diet for the last 4 years and it’s definitely changed my approach to food but I always have a rule – if there’s a Calzone on the menu then I order it and then deal with the consequences.
Clothes maketh the man… sounds materialistic but are you into fashion?
Music and fashion are the same bed fellows in my opinion, I have worked with a number of designers over years to soundtrack their shows and curate the music for catwalks, my own style is quite diverse as I am a massive fan of classic tailoring and Tom Ford is my go to designer, I have a baby blue shawl neck cardigan that I love but then I am equally comfortable with living in board shorts
Where can we find you performing next?
Over the summer you can find me at Pikes in Ibiza, Studio 338 in London and we are working on putting together a show with global appeal from clubs to festivals.
Any other releases in the pipeline that we should know about?
Yes, I have a 4 track EP out on Studio 338’s Release Label, followed by tracks on Sankeys, Dense & Pika’s Kneaded Pains, more on Release at the back end of the year and a few more remixes slotted in for good measure.
Open plug, why should people support your new release?
The 4 track EP is a perfect mix of raw tech, UK bass and good old fashion dancefloor destroying house music.
*****
SYNCIA EP
OUT NOW
LABEL Release
LDN CATALOG RL001
https://www.beatport.com/release/syncia-ep/4176126
Find Our More & Follow SYNCIA https://linktr.ee/syncia
Catch Syncia in Ibiza this summer…
