Synchro System

The album was Adé's first to be recorded in London.{{cite book |title=The Mojo Collection |date=2007 |publisher=Canongate |page=479}} It was produced by Martin Meissonnier, who worked to taper Adé's sound to Western listeners by clearly distinguishing each element in the mix, including guitar riffs, "simmering" percussion, and vocals, which were then "thickened" with keyboard additions. The album features fewer steel guitar contributions from Ademola Adepoju than its predecessor,[https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/kingsunnyade/albums/album/198503/review/5946318/synchro_system Rolling Stone review]{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} but like Adé's other early 1980s recordings, it employs synthesizers and drum machines.{{cite journal |title=Rhythm Music Magazine |journal=Rhythm Music Magazine |date=1995 |volume=4}} The album features more synthesizer lines and more distinctive "songs" with shorter track lengths than Juju Music (1982).{{citation |title=High Fidelity |date=1983 |volume=33 |issue=6–12}}.

{{Album ratings

|rev1 = All Music Guide

|rev1score = {{Rating|5|5}}{{cite book |editor1-last=Erlewine |editor1-first=Stephen Thomas |editor2-last=Bogdanov |editor2-first=Vladimir |editor3-last=Woodstra |editor3-first=Chris |title=All Music Guide: The Definitive Guide to Popular Music |date=2001 |publisher=Backbeat / AllMusic |page=882 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xR7MdpuSlAEC&q=synchro%20system}}

|rev2 = Christgau's Record Guide

|rev2score = A−{{cite book|last=Christgau|first=Robert|author-link=Robert Christgau|chapter-url=https://www.robertchristgau.com/get_chap.php?k=A&bk=80|chapter=A|access-date=August 16, 2020|title=Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s|publisher=Pantheon Books|year=1990|isbn=0-679-73015-X|via=robertchristgau.com}}

|rev3 = Rolling Stone

|rev3score = {{Rating|3|5}}[https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/kingsunnyade/albums/album/198503/review/5946318/synchro_system Rolling Stone review]{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

|rev4 = The Rolling Stone Album Guide

|rev4score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite book |title=The Rolling Stone Album Guide |date=1992 |publisher=Random House |page=7}}

}}

Syncro System charted higher than the crossover success Juju Music.Watrous, Peter. (September 13, 1990) [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0CE7D61131F930A2575AC0A966958260&scp=5&sq=King+Sunny+Ade+Juju&st=nyt Into Juju's ecstatic heart] The New York Times. Retrieved 29-01-08. Critic Robert Christgau credited Meissonnier with improving Adé's production for Western reception by “emphasizing discrete melodies and heating up the mix," calling the album "more conventionally unified" than its predecessor. Jonathan Gregg of Rolling Stone opined that while this album held many of the same features as the former, it "does not quite match the excitement or subtlety" and did demonstrate limitations within the emerging genre.Gregg, Jonathan. (September 1, 1983) [https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/kingsunnyade/albums/album/198503/review/5946318/synchro_system Synchro System]{{dead link|date=August 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2008-06-17.

In their 1990 book African Rock, authors Chris Stapleton and Chris May call the album "the most satisfying of Ade's albums for Island, carefully balancing Western and Nigerian elements," and called it "the first juju album to generate easy dancing on British floors."{{cite book |last1=Stapleton |first1=Chris |last2=May |first2=Chris |title=African Rock: The Pop Music of a Continent |date=1990 |publisher=Belisk |page=330}} In 2007, The Mojo Collection refers to the album as "an abstract, a frozen picture of what the African Beats were like" which "still sounds intensely vivid."

The album was ranked at number 10 among the "Albums of the Year" for 1983 by NME.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.nme.com/bestalbumsandtracksoftheyear/1983-2-1045394 |title=Albums and Tracks of the Year |date=2016 |magazine=NME |access-date=13 March 2018}}

All tracks composed by King Sunny Adé.

1. "Synchro Feelings - Ilako" – 5:36
2. "Mo Ti Mo" – 5:31
3. "Penkele" – 4:00
4. "Maajo" – 4:10
5. "Synchro System" – 6:27
6. "E Saiye Re" – 3:29
7. "Tolongo" – 3:19
8. "E Wele" – 5:03
9. "Synchro (Reprise)" – 1:27

• Fatoke Abiodun – percussion, agogô
• Shina Abiodun – conga
• King Sunny Adé – guitar, keyboards, vocals
• Ademola Adepoju – steel guitar
• Jacob Ajakaye – vocals
• Moses Akanbi – drums
• John Akpan – guitar, rhythm guitar
• Rasaki Aladokun – African drum, talking drum
• Gani Alashe – percussion, shekere
• Michael Babalola – maracas
• Elder Osei Bonsu – guitar, percussion, motimo
• Jonah Bonsu – keyboards
• Tunde Demiola – vocals
• Niyi Falaye – vocals
• Segun Hori – guitar
• Jelili Lawal – bass
• Martin Meissonnier – keyboards
• Bob Ohiri – guitar
• Alhaji Timmy Olaitan – drums, African drum, talking drum
• Matthew Olojede – vocals
• Femi Owomoyela – vocals

• Lynn Goldsmith – photography, cover photo
• Godwin Logie – engineer, mixing
• Martin Meissonnier – producer, coordination
• Stephen Street – assistant engineer, mixing

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Category:King Sunny Adé albums

Category:1983 albums