Synkro

First appearing as a dubstep and garage producer during the late-2000s, Manchester-based artist Synkro (Joe McBride) gradually evolved his sound into a melancholy, atmospheric mixture of drum'n'bass, ambient, and IDM. Throughout the 2010s, Synkro released several EPs and full-lengths through <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22R%26S%22">R&S</a> sublabel <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Apollo%22">Apollo</a>, from the wistful downtempo EP Broken Promise (2012) to the ambient/new wave hybrid Images (2019), in addition to collaborations with <a href="spotify:artist:23ofL7vJakLiALOWk9M3RO">ASC</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6wNOfYFlLoZxi37nmPIB0c">Arovane</a>, and Indigo (his partner in the <a href="spotify:artist:5jz40KDNd44qa9nZH0uPDM">Akkord</a> project).

Synkro initially emerged as part of the late-2000s dubstep scene, releasing dozens of 12"s on labels like <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Smokin%27+Sessions%22">Smokin' Sessions</a> and Dubbed Out. His booming, bass-heavy tracks like "Jah Love" update dub reggae for the post-<a href="spotify:artist:4ESIM5V4xT2Ce0ZWPhxIEY">Digital Mystikz</a> era, while "Don't Know" and "Closer" are moody and melancholy, with swinging U.K. garage rhythms and <a href="spotify:artist:0uCCBpmg6MrPb1KY2msceF">Burial</a>-like vocal sample manipulation. He first began collaborating with Indigo (Liam Blackburn) in 2009, releasing joint 12"s on labels such as <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22On+the+Edge%22">On the Edge</a> and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Mindset%22">Mindset</a>. In 2010, Synkro began producing atmospheric drum'n'bass similar to artists such as <a href="spotify:artist:4G1BTcGLvvsItegHSvBH0y">dBridge</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1oSvdOGMjWupD3SJWcJOgg">Instra:mental</a>, beginning with "Letting Go" on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Blackout+Music%22">Blackout Music</a>. Released in 2011, the Stop & Think EP incorporated more of a deep house sound, while other productions reflected his ambient and IDM influences, with intricately programmed beats and fragile, wistful melodies. Following records on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Box+Clever%22">Box Clever</a> and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Pushing+Red%22">Pushing Red</a>, Synkro collaborated with similarly minded producer <a href="spotify:artist:23ofL7vJakLiALOWk9M3RO">ASC</a> in 2012, issuing the "Borderline" 12" on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Auxiliary%22">Auxiliary</a>.

Also in 2012, Synkro signed with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22R%26S%22">R&S</a> sublabel <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Apollo%22">Apollo</a>, which issued the producer's downtempo Broken Promise EP. This was followed in early 2013 by the double EP Acceptance. Also in 2013, Synkro and Indigo's darker, more experimental <a href="spotify:artist:5jz40KDNd44qa9nZH0uPDM">Akkord</a> project signed to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Houndstooth%22">Houndstooth</a>, which issued the Navigate EP and a self-titled full-length that year. At the end of the year, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Apollo%22">Apollo</a> released Synkro's Lost Here EP, which featured two tracks sung by vocalist <a href="spotify:artist:2tQEEaWF2J3c8ysLBVpUj4">Robert Manos</a>. By this point, Synkro had built up a busy touring schedule, but his recorded output had eased up considerably since his more prolific dubstep days, making each successive release more of a special event. Transient arrived on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Apollo%22">Apollo</a> in late 2014, with two drum'n'bass tracks on the A-side and two downtempo cuts on the flip. In early 2015, he released a handmade cassette single titled "Farewell," which had more of a sad new wave feel to it. Synkro's long-awaited debut full-length, Changes, arrived on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Apollo%22">Apollo</a> in September of 2015. Following the Changes Remix EP in 2016, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Apollo%22">Apollo</a> released a double CD of early Synkro singles, Memories 2008-2011. In 2018, McBride launched his own Synkro Music label with two EPs, Luminous and Gagaku. He also collaborated with <a href="spotify:artist:6wNOfYFlLoZxi37nmPIB0c">Arovane</a> on Refractive (Index), an EP for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Apollo%22">Apollo</a>. A third Synkro Music 12", released in 2019, included another <a href="spotify:artist:6wNOfYFlLoZxi37nmPIB0c">Arovane</a> collaboration, as well as a track with Marenn Sukie. Synkro's second full-length, Images, was released by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Apollo%22">Apollo</a> in 2019. ~ Paul Simpson, Rovi