Synthonic
Sunshine
(Kg Records)

London, UK down tempo electro-funk artists, Synthonic gives forth a smashing bright brew on their new EP Sunshine. On these five, composer/musician and producer Kieron Garrett mines his talents with those of  mixing and mastering master, George Shilling delivering some the sly, grooving, super cool modern jazz.

The full brush of sweeping strings opens up into the title track. But we don’t stay with those strings long as there are rolling, descending keys splashing in and we are into a kinetic drum groove. The main synth flies and you can’t help but be affected; a distorted vocal just adds to the fun. There is just so much going on and it’s fantastic. “Groove Report,” has a Steely Dan funk to it, but there’s high-flying synths on top and a sly beat.

There’s some echo noise and then the drums get us jumpin on last tune here, “Head Banging,” as one could really get their head banging and toes tapping to the tom tom backing and snare snapping. I love this one, the keys slip and slide and Garrett gives the tune lots of space, dropping out sounds as much as building a full running groove with the synth vocal sounds of his leading. Great runs here, great mix of different sounds, wonderful moments of laid-back bridges and then wailing leads.

Synthonic’s Sunshine is smashing good groovy fun.