Barker announces the release of his newest Tech House single, ‘Synchronize’ via the label Pharaoh Phonix. As he continues to drive himself towards the forefront of the genre, placing his name on the radar of genre lovers worldwide, Barker appears as a powerful force within Electronic Music, one whose passion and determination see him building an unstoppable momentum. Now, as he drops yet another smash production, Barker once again proves that the attention he keeps earning comes as a well-deserving credit to his impressive talents and skilled abilities.
Emerging with a deep love for music, the eclectic range of influences that Barker has accumulated throughout his musical journey continues to shine through in his music, culminating in his unique and original signature sound. Inherently energetic, his music brings thumping basslines, bouncy rhythms, and groovy beats to his listeners, captivating them with a magnetic vibe sure to leave an impression. Having had numerous releases on top-tier labels, Barker’s list of milestone achievements continues to evolve with each and every new production, serving as a powerful reminder of his firmly established place on the scene.
Opening with a pounding beat, glowing synth pad, and bouncy arpeggiator, ‘Synchronize’ is quickly invigorated with a groovy sound as the pulsing bassline and processed vocals enter. With intensifying risers joining to elevate the tension-building vibes, the track delivers a mighty sound, energising listeners with each thumping beat; as Barker layers the soundscape with groovy rhythmic elements, adding a playful colour to the track, the filtered sonic details and powerful low end continue to drive the track forward, lighting up the mix with a compelling energy.
No doubt a must-listen track from the talented Producer and DJ, ‘Synchronize’ comes as an exciting start to 2024 for Barker, setting him on a path to reach even more thrilling sonic territories as he continues to explore and evolve his signature sound.
So today, we’re thrilled to be joined by the talented Producer and DJ to take a look behind the scenes, delving into his creative process and the inspirations that led to such a hard-hitting production.
Hi Barker, how’s it going? Congrats on the release of ‘Synchronize’!
Howdy! Things are going well, thank you. Super pumped to have my first release of 2024 out.
To begin, can you walk us through the initial idea for the track? Where did the inspiration for its creation come from?
I was standing in a club watching the dancefloor move, and it got to this point where everybody seemed to be moving in sync. Paired with my own experiences and my own most impactful moments on a dancefloor, I built the record around that feeling. The lyrics “close your eyes, open up, don’t you overthink it…” are the emphasis that I think everybody needs to buy into when they experience that kind of atmosphere.
How did you begin producing the track? Which element did you start with?
This one kind of took my workflow and slapped it in the face. I worked on the vocal first, which is not my standard as I typically start with a melodic lead and build around that. Given the idea for the track, it made sense to find the message I wanted to communicate and piece together a story around it.
What about ‘Synchronize’ would you say best showcases your signature sound?
‘Synchronize’ is all about dance floor energy. It’s about what I feel on a dancefloor with people I love and care about, that sense of community and belonging that we experience when a rave hits you just right. I love the usage of arpeggiators in my music. I don’t play the piano that well, so even though arpeggiators are a simple tool to use, they’re often present in my music in a way a lot of other tools are utilized more scarcely.
Does your creative workflow change for each track, or do you build your productions the same each time?
Typically, my workflow is pretty consistent, but when I get specific messages in mind for what I want to communicate, I throw those ideas at the wall and just try to create around them. I think there’s a lot of validity to what pops into your head in the middle of an experience, and if you can build around that, it sometimes can create something totally different than something more packaged.
The track keeps the energy high throughout; can you tell us how you created this electrifying vibe? Which elements did you focus on and how did you go about structuring the track to ensure listeners remain captivated and engaged?
I thought this track was done without quite a few of the elements that ended up in the final version. My focus was really tightly on the vocal message when I was piecing this together, but a couple of friends and mentors I sent this to when I thought it was complete, told me it lacked the energy I was trying to communicate, which pushed me to focus more on the lead synths and the stabs that are more unique in the drops and the beginning of the breakdowns. This really helped drive the track forward and keep things grooving in a way that I otherwise never would have found.
Could you walk us through your process for layering the different elements of ‘Synchronize’? How did you balance between integrating the vocal hooks and creating a soundscape that is detailed and energetic?
Once I had collected a fair amount of feedback and sat with the track for a few weeks, I created duplicates and threw everything that I thought sounded like it might add energy to the track that wasn’t in my original ‘finished’ version. From there it was trying to decipher the tone I needed to blend between all the elements and remove what didn’t necessarily make sense or didn’t flow within the mix. Not the most efficient process, but ultimately pretty effective in arriving at the finish line.
Did you face any challenges that you had to work to overcome?
Definitely. This track was a labour of love, and I didn’t have a vision for how any of it would sound beyond the type of vocal I wanted when I started piecing it together. I sat with this track for over a month before I even got the lead melody in place, and it was really frustrating as I usually have a pretty quick pace to my workflow since the vision is usually in place towards the beginning of the creative process.
Do you have any more upcoming releases that you can tell us about now?
I have an upcoming release called ‘Rodante’ and it’s coming out on Smith & Sorren’s label imprint, S&S Soundhouse. This is a groovy Latin-influenced record that I’m really proud of. It’s focused heavily on percussion which hasn’t been a huge feature on my releases up to this point, so I’m really excited to put it out into the world.