Synaptic Voyager discuss new EP on Cyphon

Sheffield's undeniable and well-documented impact on electronic music remains a beacon, with influential figures like Winston Hazel, Richard Benson, Parrot/Crooked Man, and Chris Duckenfield, alongside a flourishing underground club scene and artists such as Synaptic Voyager, cementing the city’s rich musical heritage.

Matt White and Paul Baines, who first crossed paths in 1991, have been creating offbeat, emotive, late-night electronic tracks since then. Although life took them on different journeys for a while, they recently dusted off their synths and drum machines to craft incredible new music inspired by the classic UK techno sound that significantly shaped global dance music culture. With recent releases on Frame Of Mind, Acquit, and Telomere Plastic, the duo is clearly hitting their stride, proudly showcasing Sheffield's musical legacy and delivering heartfelt, authentic machine music infused with love and soul.

We had the pleasure of catching up with Matt White and Paul Baines during the week of their debut on Cyphon Recordings.

I’d love to hear about the initial idea for Dawn Til Dusk. When did you first approach it and what was your original intention that you set out with on this release?

 As with all our tracks, we meet in the studio, Arcane studio, so called because of the mysterious nature of the place. The studio is located in an apartment block in Sheffield, England, on an estate full of other apartment blocks. All that was beautiful has long gone from this place. Very, very few people can know the exact location. We retreat to the studio, and one by one, we fire up the machines. It is like preparing a Boeing747 for take off. We press PLAY on the interdimensional teleporter, layering some strings or a melody over a pattern. And sometimes, the magic happens. The plan was simple: "let's make some tunes". That is almost always the plan.

What are you most proud of with Dawn Til Dusk?

 This release marks the first time Synaptic Voyager have worked with Cyphon, and it is an honour to be on the same label as artists whose tracks we have listened to for many years, Loxodrome, Kirk Degiorgio, Terrace (whose work “Foreign Dimensions” is one of Matt's all-time favourites)to name a few.

What was the most challenging part of bringing it together?

Matt: As we were preparing Dawn Til Dusk, we had some difficulties, my brother in law passed away, and as it came just after two other recent bereavements, I lost it a little. I disappeared and was incommunicado for six months. When my sanity returned I was touched to learn that Cyphon were ready to pick up where we had left off. Cyphon were very patient, real top fellas.

 I guess this album marks many years in the music business, I’d love to hear your thoughts on how your production process has changed over the years? Do you approach things differently now?

Our production process remains almost unchanged. We never incorporated a computer into the process. The reason for this being, it changed the production process dramatically. It changed the results too much. It was more convenient in some ways but in other ways it caused us to focus on minutia, instead of just making a tune. So the studio is purely machine-based, linked and synced by various old methods, run into old mixing desks and recorded in stereo. Not the easiest way to do things, but it seems to work out better for us.

How did you connect with Cyphon Recordings and get this release on the label?

Matt: Paul first approached Cyphon early in 2024, Capsomere quick to respond and were ready to go with the EP right away. Sadly in March, I had that bit of difficulty I spoke about earlier. In September when I returned, Cyphon were still ready to run with the EP. Paul and myself were very grateful for this. If I hadn’t vanished, it would have all come together in record time!

What have you both been doing musically the last 10years?

Ten years ago, Paul discovered a new machine, one that almost seems to have been made specifically for us. I cannot divulge that it was the Elektron Analog Keys, as I am sworn to secrecy. But I can say that its sequencer is magical, it can sync and trigger anything, modern or ancient, and it sounds phenomenal. So it’s now the heart of the studio. Aside from that, little has changed, and the place is still an archaic mass of old units wired together haphazardly.

What made you both get together and start again? What made that happen?

Matt: It had been about seven years since we had done any tracks. We were still in touch, though life had taken us in different directions. Then Paul unearthed some old recordings on cassette tape and played them to me over the phone. This distant memory sparked a new beginning, there were some beautiful tracks on that tape, sadly the recording was poor and those tracks could not be salvaged, but that very day we set out to fix the rusting relics in the studio and put them back to work. And it worked out ok!

Where do you find the inspiration to make new music?

 Paul: We always try to create something that is as good as the tracks we found on that old cassette tape. Maybe we have, rarely, I’m not sure. But that’s what we aim for.

Matt: I look for subtle clues from Paul. I try different patterns, different melodies. If I see Paul nodding his head, I know I’m on to something. If he nods his head AND says “mmmm”, it’s something very special indeed.

Who do you think is making great music currently? Who are you into right now?

We have both been huge fans of Juan Atkins (Cybotron /Model 500), he was one of the pioneers of techno itself, and then FORTY year safter the iconic track “Clear” he releases “Maintain”, and it’s everything you expect a Cybotron track to be.

What is next for Synaptic Voyager?

 We are working on the third release on Gerd’s Frame of Mind label, which should be ready later this year. And we have a mountain of proto tunes programmed into the machines in the studio, patiently awaiting the day they become full tracks. But there are still a number of complete tracks that have not yet been heard outside the studio. We would definitely like to work with Cyphon again and bring those tracks into the light. 

Buy/listen to the release here

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