Synthetic Summer's tracks are recorded over the internet from two separate studios over 1000 miles away from each other. The two members of this electronic pop duo decided that distance couldn't keep them from jamming on a regular basis, so they set up a server for passing the tracks back and forth and made the promise to write and record a song per week from now on.

"The process is fantastically fun!", says producer Supaflower. "Everytime you get the track back, it's morphed into something new and excitingly different. I think this may be the most enjoyable project I've ever produced - and you can hear it in every note."

"Before we reunited over the internet. I was touring solo non-stop since then, but I always kept Synthetic Summer in the back of my mind", comments lead vocalist and song writer JTIB. "And then one day, I called him up and said let's do this thing! It was the right timing to start back up. We agreed to an aggressive schedule and suddenly we had an album."

It all started while the two were attending school in Bakersfield, California. The duo accidentally met while hanging out on the lawn in-between classes. Discovering they were both Prince fans, they soon made arrangements to trade copies of concerts and rare recordings. But when JTIB showed up at Supaflower's place, he discovered a cache of vintage keyboards and recording equipment. Plans immediately changed! Before the afternoon was over, they'd recorded a track together.

The music kept on flowing: over the next couple months, they'd recorded enough tracks for a full length cassette. Their first album, Ring, was released on cassette to a receptive local audience. Although it had a fairly lo-fi driven sound, it was fun to listen to - mixing skits with comedy, hip-hop, and a diverse array of styles.

Their follow up effort, 'Style', showed off a much more polished sound while keeping the indie touch. Again, the diverse styles can be noted, from Hip-Hop mixed with Jazz to Rock and Pop. Their sophomore effort produced their first big hit 'Espresso 42', a jazz masterpiece in the same vein as Nat King Cole.

By the time they released 'Sodapopular', they'd generated a bit of a buzz. The album features their first international hit 'Cancion Facil', or in english, 'Simple Song'. They were invited to play a much sought-after gig: Modesto Unplugged. They performed some of their biggest hits in front of large, inebriated audience. The crowd ended up getting so crazy that they were whisked off stage by their security detail, barely escaping the chaos after their performance. They did several radio interviews to promote their tour... And with fame came all of the pitfalls one would expect: wild parties, women, hotel trashing and drugs. By the end of the year, both of them were exhausted and in rehab.

They chronicled these trying times in their fourth album 'Xylophone' - a rock opera loosely based on the band. After critical praise, it failed to produce a hit. Was Synthetic Summer over? Broke and discouraged, they went back into the studio to record a simple album - much like their debut. 'Live In The Studio' was their last album recorded in California, and many of their fans felt a connection to the raw and true sound of Synthetic Summer.

Their first Seattle sessions produced 'Green' or 'the Green Album' (as fans call it). It was an instant success, charting several hits. Their vocals had matured and were better than ever; Their playing and recording abilities had blossomed. Keeping with their pattern of extremely varied styles, 'Green' is a non-stop booty shaking masterpiece! Sometimes it sounds like the Beatles, sometimes like Prince, and sometimes like nothing you've ever heard before. It features several guest artists: Patrick MacKinnon on guitar, Al Woods and Davie Gadbois on vocals. They were back on the charts with a new hit single 'A Little Beatlish'.

After a long vacation came 'Via Satelite' and it's remixed companion album 'Transmission Complete'. The album has a more pop oriented sound with synthesizers and drum machines taking center stage in the mix. 'You Could Never Love Nobody Else' was an instant cult classic and got good rotation on underground stations, while 'Satelite' charted overseas.

After their rediscovered success in the pop charts, Synthetic Summer took a sharp turn and surprised their fans by producing a hard rock record with a pop edge. 'Although we are a pop group primarily, we listen to a lot of classic rock from the 1970's through the 1990's.' says Supaflower. 'So we decided to try and make a record that had the spirit of those early rockers.' Distracted By Reality also features many rock and roll guests including producer Kevin Younkins, guitarists Dave Demers Jr, and Joe Kozlinski, making it an epic adventure in rock and roll. Also released for serious fans was a series of five limited edition EP's from the album with heavier mixes and exclusive b-sides.

During the making of 'Distracted By Reality', they recorded a few extra jams with guitarist Dave Demers Jr. These were more in the pop fashion and were paired with a few other pop out takes from that same time period and released on the EP 'Guiding Light'. A companion EP called 'Hold You In My Arms' contains some additional mixes by well-known Seattle producer Kevin Younkins.

A couple of fun releases came next with 'Prince Tunes' and 'By Popular Demand'. With the unfortunate passing of Prince, Synthetic Summer made a tribute record with some of their favorite tracks - given that Prince was the catalyst that brought the pair together. They are planning on doing another volume at some point in the future, and have already recorded material for it, although it is far from finished. The album was not promoted heavily but the posthumous Prince track 'Moonbeam Levels' generated a surprise massive online buzz with over 50,000 downloads. During the tour, they took time off to do a quick acoustic day in the studio. This recorded session was highly bootlegged, and they eventually succumbed to fan demand and released it officially - called 'By Popular Demand'.

'Emerald City Heartbreak' was a distinct challenge - record an album that embodies the sound of the eighties that brought them together in the first place, while keeping the overall mix and sound modern. Several of the tracks charted quite high on college radio including the heavy rocker 'You Belong To Me' and the Prince inspired 'Birds Of Paradise'. Once again, fans will want to collect the limited edition singles and exclusive b-sides.

Their newest record 'Synesthesia' is a further step in the synth wave direction. The first single 'DJ Song' is a tribute to Kevin Cole on Seattle station KEXP and is an instant dance classic!

So what does the future hold for Synthetic Summer? They are keeping to their promise to record a new songs often, meaning there will be more albums to come - and let's not forget the bootlegs, limited edition singles and rare tracks. Stay tuned! Synthetic Summer is here...
 

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Genre: Electronic Pop
Influences: Beatles, Erasure, Electronic Pop groups from the eighties.