Bleep

Maltese producer Sound Synthesis has been on something of a roll since lockdown kicked in. Over the course of 2020 and into 2021, he’s released roughly a dozen stunning records across a variety of labels. Soul Signal Modulation sees him mint his new label Wave Function with his debut album in the form of eight tracks spread across two plates. The mood is emotive electro of the highest order.

‘New Beginnings’ leads out with celestial pads draped over a gently snarling bassline with a minimal and occasionally glitched break carrying it forward. ‘Changing Modes’ and ‘Unspoken Melodies’ move into more uptempo and dynamic territory with subtly distorted 909s and searching, melodic VST chimes casting your mind’s eye into imagined landscapes. ‘Notfelt’ strips this palette back to give its substantial bassline the centre stage. ‘MOD-BS-303’ and ‘Night Skies’ are possibly this collection’s brightest moments - it’s a familiar concoction of drum machines and synthetic tones, with an extra level of charm and depth seeming to somehow be unlocked at this stage with these two. ‘Note to Self’ drops the tempo and vibe down into slower and more introspective territory, a sense of yearning rather than dancefloor dynamism providing its vital energy source.

Exploring completely new territory within the classic electro framework, this captivating debut album from Sound Synthesis is flawless.