Fun Friday - She's the Queen 'Sleepwalker's Curse' Demo

She's the Queen - Sleepwalker's Curse [Exclusive Demo] by The Synth Symp

Hey everyone, hope you had a good week and enjoyed the feature on Manchester.  I've got some really big things coming up, so be sure to be here Monday for the first in a set of interviews I'm incredibly excited about.  Be sure to come back then.

I wrestled this demo out of the hands of She's the Queen a few days ago for the site.  The track 'Sleepwalker's Curse' is a fan favorite for the band, so getting an intimate look at the infancy of this song adds a great perspective.  This early demo showcases a less effect-filled, piano heavy version of the track, and lacks the slow buildup to the chorus we all know well now.  The versions before this were still in the phase of the band finding its sound-- perhaps one day Emily and Drew will release more of their other demo tracks as well, so be sure to bug them on Twitter about it.

Have a good weekend, and see you here Monday!

Manchester Week: Jules Schimmer

The Sanfernando Sound - This Is The Sound Jules Schimmers Italo Dub by Jules Schimmer

Closing out our feature on Manchester this week is the brilliant JULES SCHIMMER.  Recently he's been releasing great mixes on his SoundCloud and he is currently working on new tracks that you'll see sometime soon.  You'll also find a wealth of his awesome remixes there as well.  Like the other Mancunians, Jules very much loves the sounds of the 80s, which ties this feature together really well.  If I had to explain Jules' sound to a new listener, I'd simply say "he makes his synths Schimmer".

Check below to find out about Jules' influences, what he uses in the studio, and read about his live shows.  He'll also break down an amazing bass that's featured in his remix of Anoraak, which will help you get started on making your own great bass patches.

Manchester Week: Mindscramble

Mindscramble - Upstart (demo) by Mindscramble


Interviewing MINDSCRAMBLE is like greeting an old friend to me-- but we've never met in person.  When the blog was in its wee days of infancy, I received a few emails from interested people, him being one of the few.  Not sure what to think judging by his photo, I checked out his Soundcloud and was immediately excited-- I had found the type of readers who I wanted to listen to.  Mindscramble was the first of the Manchester crew I met, so it's a pleasure to have this interview.


Mindscramble combines the feelings of 80s montages and beats into great tracks.  While he claims to be a beginner, I never hear any evidence of it.  Check below as I delve into his influences and find out what makes him tick.  I'm also excited to show off a demo work in progress of his new track, 'Surge', and he takes a crack at the classic patch from Anoraak's 'Nightdrive with You'.

Manchester Week: The Sanfernando Sound

Kites - A Flower Is All That Remains - The Sanfernando Sound REMIX by The Sanfernando Sound

THE SANFERNANDO SOUND is the music production moniker of Jason Sieu Persad. Born in the city of San Fernando (Trinidad & Tobago) and now based in Manchester (UK), Jason makes music because he’s fascinated by synthesizers, drum machines and any gadget (preferably with small, flashing lights) which produces odd sounds. He is currently working on his second remixes for indie-electro bands Starlings and Kites and is collaborating with singer Maighréad on fresh material.

I first heard The Sanfernando Sound before I started this blog when he brilliantly remixed She's the Queen's 'Sleepwalker's Curse' about 5 months ago.  His remix repertoire also includes Two Door Cinema Club and Anoraak.  We've recently had a good conversation on hardware synths via email, so he's a bit of a 'kindred spirit' in terms of the love of synth hardware and drum machines.  Read below to find out about his collection, and be sure to check out a patch he's gifted to us using a free plugin.

Manchester Week: Kid Machine

Dragon (demo) by Kid Machine

KID MACHINE is the first artist of this week's Mancunian special.  I've had the pleasure of talking to him via Twitter for about a couple months now.  Kid Machine makes great Italo-Disco tracks with stabbing synths and shuffling beats that echo the sounds of the 70s and 80s.  Be sure to check out his great catalog of tracks on SoundCloud as you enjoy this interview.

Manchester Week!

This week, I'm very excited to present a set of interviews with 4 talented producers living in Manchester, England for Monday-Thursday of this week.  If you're like me (and much of the rest of the world), you first think of the Manchester United Soccer  (Football) team, the most famous club in the world, when you hear the name 'Manchester'.  This week's DJs will clue you in on the awesome nu-disco/ electro scene happening in Manchester today.

For this week, be prepared to sit back and enjoy hearing great clubby tracks, influences, and hearing some exclusive tracks and learning some patch programming.  Check back tomorrow for the exciting start of MANCHESTER WEEK!

Moog hints, Champions, and more

Hello everyone, hope your Friday is going well.  A couple of things to mention before we all escape to the weekend...

Moog is showing off a "special project" that's "the first of its kind", which is said to rhyme with Rogue Door.  Speculation on their Facebook Page has guesses such as "Moog Door", "Moog Gore", but my guess would be between "Moog More" and "Moog IV".  Nothing in the picture indicates polyphony, but there are Mooger Foogers lined up across the top of the Voyager XL, implying there's way more to this than just a standard 5 grand keyboard.  Only time will tell...

EDIT: Today, Moog revealed the Moog Store.  Not quite a polyphonic synth...