Ryan Synth Drops EL JĖFÉ EP

Ryan Synth

We had the opportunity to talk to Mothuse Ryan Synth Balule popularly known as Ryan Synth and this is what we discovered. Ryan Synth is a Club DJ, Music Producer and IT consultant. By day,he is the picture of easygoing composure. But beneath that cool exterior lies a master conductor of dance floor energy.

Renowned for his ability to ignite crowds with diverse tastes, Ryan Synth isn’t just a club DJ – he’s an experience curator. For the past three years, he’s brought the party to the airwaves with his signature “Ultimix” sets, a radio residency that’s graced provincial, national, and even international stations. Whether you’re chilling at home, cruising in your car, or getting pumped for a night out, Ryan Synth’s meticulously crafted mixes are guaranteed to elevate your listening pleasure.

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Walk us through your typical music production process, from initial concept to final product.

So, first for the music to come to life, I need to be in the right mindset and from there I usually start by working on a loop rhythmic drum pattern, then follow by laying down basic chords to have musical direction. Thereafter, I lace the baseline. In structuring the beat, I usually have a random vocal for that. After, I add background samples or sounds to kind of fill in where I feel it’s empty. When I now have a demo beat, I then get my team to approach artists that I’d have curated the beat for to get them on board and hopefully make a masterpiece.

What are your preferred Digital Audio Workstations (DAWs) and plugins? Are you comfortable learning new ones?

FL Studio is my thing; that’s how I got started. Thus, it has been my preferred DAW. It all depends on what I’m working on, but for melodies, I usually use Pianissimo & Lounge Lizard and Ozone for mixing and mastering. I’ve experimented with using Ableton Live and other DAWs, but I always end up returning to FL.

Describe your experience with recording instruments and vocals. How do you handle technical challenges during recording?

I believe the only technological difficulty I faced was when I attempted to record a guitar riff and the laptop collapsed on us, forcing us to postpone the studio session. However, in my previous recording experience, the vibe in the studio with the artists has always been important. The energy is always right, and the synergies between me and the artists/producers have been really good.

What’s your approach to mixing and mastering a song? How do you ensure a polished and professional sound?

I conduct my own mixing and usually collaborate with mastering specialists to prepare the final result. So, in my work process, as I add parts to a song, I automatically gain stage them so that the samples blend in with the rest of the sounds that are currently playing. Even after all that, it happens. I’m continuing working on the demo mix (song) to try to get a reasonable mix, because a flawless mix is impossible. When I send it for mastering, I’ll include my guide master as a reference and remarks for the engineer to acquaint themselves with the desired outcome for the final master.

Tell us about a project where you had to overcome technical difficulties. How did you find solutions and achieve the desired result?

One time I worked on a single track for about 5-6months as the vocalist was not able to get the right note and it somehow bettered the song because we were both working on separate projects. So, we left the project and returned to it later and it later dropped later that year in 2021. I usually don’t force things if I feel it’s not coming out the way I want it too or the artist wants it to. The best remedy and letting a project breathe a bit then get back to it with a fresh and clear mindset.

What do you consider to be the most important qualities of a successful song?

I grew up listening to a variety of genres, but my main qualities are great chords and a thumping baseline. The lyrics should take over from there and take the listener to another dimension. chords, solid baseline and powerful vocals.

How do you approach collaborating with artists? How do you balance their vision with your own creative input?

I let the artist listen to the project first and they tell me what they are feeling from the beat, then I let them know the concept I had for the song and we find a way of fusing the two together. And I’ve never had a problem with that, I prefer the artist to have a say in the project because it’s a collaboration.

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Can you share an example of a time you helped an artist refine their ideas and bring their song to life?

Taking you back to the project that took us about 5-6months to complete, the artists had lyrics written down and were pretty long. So, when they first pitched the lyrics, I understood where they were coming from but to make the song work, we had to downscale verse 2 as it was more than 16bars. At first the artist didn’t understand but they later opened up on their own to me about how they did not understand why I asked them to reduce their lyrics, and that had the same encounter with a fellow musician and they found themselves helping out the same way that I helped them scale down their lyrics.

How do you handle difficult artistic situations, such as disagreements with an artist or creative blocks?

I work with energies, if we don’t get along from the onset, I distance myself.

I can’t say I have had an encounter with a difficult artist. On the creative blocks, I don’t force. If I can’t get any work done, I just let it be. I know when I get into a different activity, I’ll trigger something that will make me get back into the groove.

What genres are you most comfortable working in? Are you open to exploring new and unfamiliar styles?

I’m a house music fanatic, but I also love me some hip-hop. I can’t really pinpoint any genre, as long as it’s good music to my ear. I’m currently experimenting with South American styles and researching on the cultures that influence the sonics from there.

How do you manage your time and resources effectively when working on multiple projects?

I try not to overwork myself so that no project suffers, so I work smart not hard. I’d rather work on 6 projects that I’m guaranteed they get released than working on multiple projects and find only 2 or 3 get released.

What are your career goals as a music producer? How do you see yourself contributing to the industry?

Just bringing my creative ideas into the industry is all I’m grateful for. As a music producer, my goals are to be able to work with more seasoned musicians with the hopes of learning from them. We all have a unique touch to this industry, so we have to let the world hear it

Share a project you’re particularly proud of and why.

My New single Take it Slow. The concept came from wanting to experiment with artists that do different styles of music, and I fuse their styles with my music and that’s how I came up with Take It Slow.

Also EL JĖFÉ, Ryan Synth’s new EP is out today! Featuring collaborations with Kinah the Music, Prince Joel, Custo and I am Benjamin. The 5 track EP combines Private School Yanos and Mexican music for a refreshing music experience. Don’t miss out on this unique fusion of genres that showcases the power of cultural exchange through music.

For Bookings: +236 783 420 546 (Ms M) | +263 772 306 750 (Michelle) | bookings@ryansynth.com

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