Login
Login

Synthetic Soul

{{Infobox album

| name = Synthetic Soul

| type = EP

| artist = Chiiild

| cover = Synthetic_Soul.jpg

| caption =

| alt =

| released = February 28, 2020

| recorded =

| venue =

| studio =

| genre =

| length = 22:34

| label =

| producer =

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title = Hope for Sale

| next_year = 2021

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Synthetic Soul

| type = EP

| single1 = Count Me Out

| single1date = July 31, 2019

| single2 = Back to Life

| single2date = September 13, 2019

| single3 = Darling

| single3date = November 13, 2019

| single4 = Hands Off Me

| single4date = January 22, 2020

}}

}}

Synthetic Soul is the debut extended play by Canadian experimental soul band Chiiild. It was released on February 28, 2020, by Avant Garden and Island Records.{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/album/synthetic-soul/1495273295|title=Synthetic Soul by Chiiild on Apple Music|website=Apple Music|publisher=Apple Inc.|accessdate=February 28, 2020}} The EP exemplifies the band's blend of soul, r&b, psychedelia, jazz, indie, and pop.{{cite interview |last=Ayal|first=Yonatan|subject-link=XSDTRK|interviewer=Sandra Treviño|others=Audio produced by Fyodor Sakhnovski|title=Chiiild’s Synthetic Soul Sound Takes Inspiration From Many Genres|url=https://vocalo.org/chiiild-on-tour/|work=Vocalo Radio|publisher=WBEW|location=Chicago|date=3 October 2019}}{{cite web|last=Shah|first=Deep|url=https://colorsxstudios.com/music/chiiild-count-me-out/|title=Chiiild - Count Me Out|website=COLORSxSTUDIOS|publisher=COLORS Media|accessdate=31 July 2019}} It also features a sole guest appearance from Zimbabwean American singer and songwriter Shungudzo.

Release and promotion

Synthetic Soul was officially released for digital download and streaming on February 28, 2020, by Avant Garden and Island Records. A short documentary film of the same name—shot by Peter Hou at Wild Studio, in Saint-Zénon, Quebec—was released on May 14, 2020.{{cite web|url=https://avantgardenrecords.com/pages/deck-chiiild|title=Avant Garden - Artist Deck: Chiiild|website=Avant Garden Records|accessdate=December 17, 2020}}

  • {{cite AV media|people=Hou, Peter (Cinematographer)|title=Synthetic Soul (Mini Doc)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MfSiaCbhD9I|location=Saint-Zénon|publisher=Avant Garden Records|access-date=May 14, 2020}} The film exhibits the remote haven in which the EP was created and introduces the band's empirical approach to songwriting.

= Singles =

"Count Me Out" was released on July 31, 2019, as the EP's lead single.{{cite web|last=Crook|first=Oliver|url=https://atwoodmagazine.com/chiiild-count-me-out-song-review/|title=Today's Song: Chiiild's 'Count Me Out' Is, To Put It Simply, Fiiire|website=Atwood Magazine|date=27 August 2019 |accessdate=August 27, 2019}} It received world premiere support from Rory Farrell on The Joe Budden Podcast.{{cite AV media|people=Budden, Joe; Clay, Jamil; Farrell, Rory|title=The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory & Mal|url=https://open.spotify.com/episode/3cjwruLC8UkpKaTUffSqTt|access-date=July 31, 2019|website=The Joe Budden Podcast|publisher=Spotify|quote=Episode Title: The Joe Budden Podcast Episode 267 {{!}} 'Ahoy Mans'}} The EP's second single, "Back to Life", featured Shungudzo and premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show on September 13, 2019.{{cn|date=August 2023}} "Darling" was released as the third single on November 13, 2019.{{cite web|last=Brown|first=Bianca|url=https://www.onestowatch.com/blog/chiiilds-darling-is-a-hallucinogenic-heirloom|title=Chiiild's 'Darling' Is a Hallucinogenic Heirloom of Love|website=Ones to Watch|publisher=Live Nation Entertainment|accessdate=November 13, 2019}} The fourth single, "Hands Off Me", was released on January 22, 2020.{{cite web|last=Robles|first=Jonathan|url=https://variancemagazine.com/sounds/10834-chiiild-hands-off-me|title=Listen to Chiiild's Mesmerizing New Single 'Hands Off Me'|website=Variance Magazine|accessdate=January 22, 2020}}

On July 22, 2020, a stripped version of "Pirouette" was released as a promotional single.{{cite web|url=https://avantgardenrecords.com/pages/chiiild-pirouette-stripped|title='Pirouette (Stripped)' - Single EPK|website=Avant Garden Records|accessdate=July 22, 2020}} It was synced on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, airing on the seventeenth season's fifth episode, "Fight the Power," on December 10, 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.tunefind.com/show/greys-anatomy/season-17/102930|title=Grey's Anatomy · S17E05 · Fight the Power|website=Tunefind|accessdate=December 10, 2020}}

Critical reception

Upon its release, Synthetic Soul's sound was widely acclaimed by music critics. In speaking about the band's artistry, Krista Apardian of Ones to Watch proclaimed that the EP's "delicate balance of smooth retro soul, psychedelia, and modern R&B" produced "an entrancing mix of old and new."{{cite web|last=Apardian|first=Krista Marina|url=https://www.onestowatch.com/blog/chiiild-synthetic-soul|title=Chiiild Will Have You Hopping on Their 'Synthetic Soul' Train|website=Ones to Watch|publisher=Live Nation Entertainment|accessdate=March 2, 2020}} Writing for Lyrical Lemonade discography, Lucas Garrison commended the EP's introspective lyrics, claiming that "[Chiiild] really succeed in blending experimentation with emotion."{{cite web|last=Garrison|first=Lucas|url=https://lyricallemonade.com/p/synthetic-soul-chiiild|title=Synthetic Soul – [Chiiild]|website=Lyrical Lemonade discography|accessdate=March 3, 2020}}

While commenting on the saturation of experimental R&B in indie music, Dominiq Robinson of HotNewHipHop positively distinguished Synthetic Soul's textural production—calling it a sonic "blueprint" in the use of "ambient synth pads, funky basslines, lo-fi drum sequencing, and reverb-heavy vocals".{{cite web|last=Robinson|first=Dominiq|url=https://www.hotnewhiphop.com/chiiilds-synthetic-soul-is-psychedelic-randb-at-its-finest-new-mixtape.120111.html|title=Chiiild's 'Synthetic Soul' Is Psychedelic R&B At Its Finest|website=HotNewHipHop|date=29 February 2020 |publisher=Urbanlinx Media|accessdate=February 29, 2020}}

In addition to Synthetic Soul's positive reception, Chiiild has been listed as an "Artist to Watch" by media outlets such as Pigeons & Planes,{{cite web|last1=Moore|first1=Jacob|last2=Gardner|first2=Alex|last3=Wines|first3=Tiffany|last4=Siber|first4=Alex|url=https://www.complex.com/pigeons-and-planes/2019/09/best-new-artists-september-2019/chiiild|title=Best New Artists of the Month (September)|website=Pigeons & Planes|publisher=Complex Networks|accessdate=September 24, 2019}} The Line of Best Fit,{{cite web|last=Bennett|first=Ty|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/features/interviews/on-the-rise-chiiild|title=On the Rise: Chiiild|website=The Line of Best Fit|accessdate=February 20, 2020}} Paste Magazine,{{cite web|last=Manno|first=Lizzie|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/music/canadian-artists/canadian-artists-you-need-to-know-2020/#8-chiiild|title=The 30 Canadian Artists You Need to Know in 2020|website=Paste|date=8 May 2020 |publisher=Paste Media Group|accessdate=May 12, 2020}} Exclaim!,{{cite web|author=|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/9_emerging_canadian_artists_you_should_hear_in_april_2020|title=9 Emerging Canadian Artists You Should Hear in April 2020|website=Exclaim!|publisher=Exclaim! Media|accessdate=April 6, 2020}} and Spotify's global emerging-artist program, RADAR.{{cite web|url=https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX5WmphwNfZfk|title=RADAR Canada: Artists to Watch 2021|website=Spotify|publisher=Spotify Technology S.A.|accessdate=December 17, 2020}}

= Accolades =

"Hands Off Me" was shortlisted for Triple J's Hottest 100 on December 8, 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.abc.net.au/music-countdown/assets/downloads/List_by_Song_Name_A-Z-Reduced.pdf|title=Triple J's Hottest 100 - 2020 Shortlist|website=Triple J's Hottest 100|publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|accessdate=December 8, 2020}} On December 15, Chiiild received their first Song of the Year nomination, for "Pirouette", at WTB's inaugural We The Beat Awards. They were announced as the winners of the award on December 28, 2020.{{cite web|url=https://wethebeat.com/2020/12/15/2020-we-the-beat-awards.html|title=2020 We The Beat Awards|website=We The Beat|accessdate=December 15, 2020}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ Year-end lists for Synthetic Soul

scope="col", style="width:140px;"| Publication

! scope="col", style="width:240px;"| List

! scope="col"| Rank

! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row", style="height:35px;text-align:center;"| COMPLEXCA

| style="text-align:center;"| Best Canadian Albums of 2020

| style="text-align:center;"| 11

| {{center|{{cite web|last1=Gheciu|first1=Alex|last2=Cowie|first2=Del|last3=Wilson|first3=Sumiko|last4=Bottineau|first4=JJ|url=https://www.complex.com/music/2020/12/best-canadian-albums-of-2020/chiiild-synthetic-soul|title=The Best Canadian Albums of 2020|website=COMPLEX Canada|publisher=Complex Networks|accessdate=December 13, 2020}}}}

scope="row", style="height:35px;text-align:center;"| Time Out Montréal

| style="text-align:center;"| Best New Montreal Albums of 2020

| style="text-align:center;"| 3

| {{center|{{cite web|last=Manoli|first=Sasha|url=https://www.timeout.com/montreal/music/best-new-albums-2020|title=The Best New Albums That Came Out of Montreal In 2020|website=Time Out|accessdate=December 21, 2020}}}}

scope="row", style="height:35px;text-align:center;"| Cult MTL

| style="text-align:center;"| Top 10 Albums of 2020

| style="text-align:center;"| 3

| {{center|{{cite web|author=|url=https://cultmtl.com/2020/12/these-are-the-best-albums-of-2020/|title=These Are the Best Albums of 2020 (Erik Leijon)|website=Cult MTL|date=22 December 2020 |publisher=Cult MTL Media|accessdate=December 22, 2020}}}}

scope="row", style="height:35px;text-align:center;"| TECO APPLE

| style="text-align:center;"| The 10 Best EPs of 2020

| style="text-align:center;"| 3

| {{center|{{cite web|author=|url=https://tecoapple.com/2020/12/21/os-10-melhores-eps-de-2020/|title=Os 10 Melhores EPs de 2020|trans-title=The 10 Best EPs of 2020|website=Teco Apple|date=21 December 2020 |publisher=MTV Brasil|language=Portuguese|accessdate=December 21, 2020}}}}

scope="row", style="height:35px;text-align:center;"| NEXT Magazine

| style="text-align:center;"| Top 20 Canadian Albums of 2020

| style="text-align:center;"|

N/A

| {{center|{{cite magazine|author=|date=3 December 2020|editor1-last=Hollett|editor1-first=Michael|title=NEXT Magazine Canada (December 2020 Issue)|url=https://issuu.com/next_magazine_canada/docs/next_december_final|location=Canada|publisher=Issuu|issue=1|pages=32–33|accessdate=December 17, 2020}}}}

scope="row", style="height:35px;text-align:center;"| KIND Magazine

| style="text-align:center;"| Best Albums To Vibe To 2020

| style="text-align:center;"|

N/A

| {{center|{{cite magazine|author=|date=23 November 2020|editor1-last=Kaplan|editor1-first=Ben|title=KIND Magazine Canada (December 2020 Issue)|url=https://issuu.com/papersmagazine/docs/pepr_0012_kind_magazine_issue5_singlepages_7.875x1|location=Canada|via=Issuu|issue=5|pages=72–73|accessdate=January 12, 2021}}}}

Track listing

EP credits adapted from Tidal.{{cite web|url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/131881595/credits|title=Chiiild / Synthetic Soul / Credits|website=Tidal|accessdate=February 28, 2020}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Synthetic Soul track listing

| extra_column = Producer(s)

| total_length = 22:34

| title_width = 25%

| writing_width = 50%

| extra_width = 25%

| title1 = Count Me Out

| writer1 = {{hlist|Yonatan Ayal|Pierre-Luc Rioux|Isabelle Dunn|Lauren Malyon|Maxime Bellavance|Cole "Col3trane" Basta}}

| extra1 = {{hlist|xSDTRK|Pierre-Luc Rioux}}

| length1 = 3:27

| title2 = Back to Life

| note2 = feat. Shungudzo

| writer2 = {{hlist|Ayal|Rioux|Dunn|Alexandra Shungudzo Govere}}

| extra2 = {{hlist|xSDTRK|Rioux}}

| length2 = 3:42

| title3 = Hands Off Me

| writer3 = {{hlist|Ayal|Rioux|Dunn|Malyon|Govere}}

| extra3 = {{hlist|xSDTRK|Rioux}}

| length3 = 3:45

| title4 = Darling

| writer4 = {{hlist|Ayal|Rioux|Bellavance|Cameron Mitchell}}

| extra4 = {{hlist|xSDTRK|Rioux}}

| length4 = 2:44

| title5 = Pirouette

| writer5 = {{hlist|Ayal|Rioux|Mick Coogan}}

| extra5 = {{hlist|xSDTRK|Rioux}}

| length5 = 2:57

| title6 = Sunday Morning

| writer6 = {{hlist|Ayal|Rioux|Coogan|Dernst Emile II}}

| extra6 = {{hlist|xSDTRK|Rioux}}

| length6 = 3:12

| title7 = Easy on Yourself

| writer7 = {{hlist|Ayal|Rioux|Dunn}}

| extra7 = {{hlist|xSDTRK|Rioux}}

| length7 = 2:44

}}

Personnel

Personnel credits adapted from AllMusic.{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/synthetic-soul-mr0005185898|title=Synthetic Soul Overview|website=AllMusic|publisher=RhythmOne|accessdate=December 16, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/pirouette-mw0003413878/credits|title='Pirouette' Credits|website=AllMusic|publisher=RhythmOne|accessdate=December 16, 2020}}

{{col-start}}

{{col-3}}

  • Yonatan "xSDTRK" Ayal – vocals, production, recording engineer, bass, keyboards
  • Pierre-Luc Rioux – production, recording engineer, guitar

{{col-3}}

{{col-3}}

  • Maxime Bellavance – drums
  • John "J-Banga" Kercy – mixing
  • Chris Gehringer – mastering

{{col-end}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

! scope="col", style="width:90px;"| Region

! scope="col", style="width:140px;"| Date

! scope="col", style="width:200px;"| Format(s)

! scope="col", style="width:200px;"| Label

! scope="col", style="width:140px;"| UPC

! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|References}}

scope="row", rowspan="2", style="text-align:center;"|Worldwide

| style="text-align:center;"| {{Start date|2020|02|28}}

| style="text-align:center;"| digital download • streaming

| style="text-align:center;"| Avant Garden • Island

| style="text-align:center;"| 6-02508-28947-7

| style="text-align:center;"|{{cite web|url=https://schoolkidsrecords.com/Item/9013943538|title=Synthetic Soul - Digital Download|type=MP3 Album|website=Schoolkids Records|id=Item #9013943538|accessdate=February 28, 2020}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

  • {{Discogs release|type=album|15283943|name=Synthetic Soul}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:2020 debut EPs

Category:Island Records EPs

Category:Soul jazz EPs

Category:Psychedelic music EPs

Category:Soul albums by Canadian artists

Category:Experimental music EPs

Category:Experimental music albums by Canadian artists