On Synthetic: Season 2, Halifax pop artist and composer Rich Aucoin continues his journey through the history of synthesizers. The second entry in his quadruple LP series once again features an armada of the world’s most rare, historic, and highly sought after electronic instruments. Gaining access to the collections of Calgary’s National Music Centre and LA’s Vintage Synthesizer Museum, Aucoin ran amok on machines to create four albums of thrilling, transporting instrumental music. Each song on Synthetic: Season 2 conjures a world of its own, combining Aucoin’s melodic sensibilities with textural, genre-agnostic experimentation. The album swerves into action with the wiggling synths and thunderous drum breaks of “Wav” – recorded on the Hammond Novachord from 1939 and considered the very first analog, fully polyphonic synthesizer – stacking hooks like a cinematic training montage as it climbs toward the first of many transcendent conclusions. “Shift” changes course into eerie, frostbitten industrial territory with rubbery beats that bounce like pogo sticks, switching tempos unexpectedly and dissolving into skittering arrays of sound. The squelching groove of “Pure” brings a touch of ’90s French House, like Daft Punk jet-setting around the world. Six minutes pass in a flash during this playful brain-dance. “Space” is a thumping banger built upon chiming, subaquatic beats that slice through thick drones and filter disco drops. Its passages of extraterrestrial techno tranquility will make you feel like an astronaut floating in the inky void, making shapes in zero gravity. - Jesse Locke
Release date:
May 19, 2023
Label:
Install our app to receive notifications when new upcoming releases are added.

Recommended equipment and accessories
-
Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge
Features an elliptical stylus that accurately tracks the grooves of vinyl records, delivering a rich, detailed sound with an output voltage of 5.5 mV
-
HumminGuru: Ultrasonic Vinyl Record Cleaner
Advanced ultrasonic technology with customizable cleaning cycles and a large tank capacity to thoroughly remove dust, dirt, and contaminants
-
Technics SL-1500C Turntable
Features a direct-drive motor, a high-precision tonearm, and a premium MM cartridge, delivering exceptional sound quality
-
Turntables - Top Picks
A selection of reliable record players you can buy today, for every budget
-
Cartridges - Top Picks
A selection of turnatble cartridges that provide great performance and sound quality
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
-
Grateful Dead Blues For Allah (50th Anniversary)
Grateful Dead Production
September 12, 2025 -
Black Keys No Rain, No Flowers (Amazon Exclusive; Emerald Green)
Warner Records
August 8, 2025 -
Buscabulla Se Amaba Así (Clear)
Domino Record Co
September 12, 2025 -
Pile Sunshine and Balance Beams
Sooper Records
August 15, 2025 -
Between The Buried And Me The Blue Nowhere [4xLP]
Inside Out Music
September 12, 2025 -
Jerskin Fendrix Once Upon A Time. . . In Shropshire [2xLP]
Untitled (Recs)
October 10, 2025 -
Dido No Angel (Deluxe Package)
Legacy Recordings
September 19, 2025 -
Kingfishr Halcyon
Atlantic
August 22, 2025 -
Ambush Evil In All Dimensions
Napalm Records
September 5, 2025 -
Before The Dawn Cold Flare Eternal (Blue Splatter)
Reaper Entertainment
September 5, 2025 -
Soulwax All Systems Are Lying [2xLP]
Because Music
October 17, 2025 -
Knosis Genknosis (Translucent Crystal)
Sharptone Records
August 1, 2025 -
W.A.S.P. THe Headless Children Half-Speed Master
Madfish
August 8, 2025 -
Craig David Commitment [2xLP]
Believe Recordings
August 8, 2025