Synthetic Soul Explained

Synthetic Soul
Type:EP
Artist:Chiiild
Cover:Synthetic_Soul.jpg
Released:February 28, 2020
Genre:
Length:22:34
Label:
Producer:
Next Title:Hope for Sale
Next Year:2021

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.[1] The EP exemplifies the band's blend of soul, r&b, psychedelia, jazz, indie, and pop.[2] [3] 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.[1] 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.[4] 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.[5] It received world premiere support from Rory Farrell on The Joe Budden Podcast.[6] The EP's second single, "Back to Life", featured Shungudzo and premiered on Zane Lowe's Beats 1 radio show on September 13, 2019. "Darling" was released as the third single on November 13, 2019.[7] The fourth single, "Hands Off Me", was released on January 22, 2020.[8]

On July 22, 2020, a stripped version of "Pirouette" was released as a promotional single.[9] It was synced on ABC's Grey's Anatomy, airing on the seventeenth season's fifth episode, "Fight the Power," on December 10, 2020.[10]

Critical reception

Upon its release, Synthetic Souls 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."[11] Writing for Lyrical Lemonade discography, Lucas Garrison commended the EP's introspective lyrics, claiming that "[Chiiild] really succeed in blending experimentation with emotion."[12] While commenting on the saturation of experimental R&B in indie music, Dominiq Robinson of HotNewHipHop positively distinguished Synthetic Souls textural production—calling it a sonic "blueprint" in the use of "ambient synth pads, funky basslines, lo-fi drum sequencing, and reverb-heavy vocals".[13]

In addition to Synthetic Souls positive reception, Chiiild has been listed as an "Artist to Watch" by media outlets such as Pigeons & Planes,[14] The Line of Best Fit,[15] Paste Magazine,[16] Exclaim!,[17] and Spotify's global emerging-artist program, RADAR.[18]

Accolades

"Hands Off Me" was shortlisted for Triple J's Hottest 100 on December 8, 2020.[19] On December 15, Chiiild received their first Song of the Year nomination, for "Pirouette", at WTBs inaugural We The Beat Awards. They were announced as the winners of the award on December 28, 2020.[20]

Year-end lists for Synthetic Soul
PublicationListRank
COMPLEXCABest Canadian Albums of 202011
Time Out MontréalBest New Montreal Albums of 20203
Cult MTLTop 10 Albums of 20203
TECO APPLEThe 10 Best EPs of 20203
NEXT MagazineTop 20 Canadian Albums of 2020

N/A

KIND MagazineBest Albums To Vibe To 2020

N/A

Track listing

EP credits adapted from Tidal.[21]

Personnel

Personnel credits adapted from AllMusic.[22] [23]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Synthetic Soul by Chiiild on Apple Music. Apple Music. Apple Inc.. February 28, 2020.
  2. Ayal. Yonatan. XSDTRK. Sandra Treviño. Audio produced by Fyodor Sakhnovski. Chiiild’s Synthetic Soul Sound Takes Inspiration From Many Genres. Vocalo Radio. WBEW. Chicago. 3 October 2019.
  3. Web site: Shah. Deep. Chiiild - Count Me Out. COLORSxSTUDIOS. COLORS Media. 31 July 2019.
  4. Web site: Avant Garden - Artist Deck: Chiiild. Avant Garden Records. December 17, 2020.
  5. Web site: Crook. Oliver. Today's Song: Chiiild's 'Count Me Out' Is, To Put It Simply, Fiiire. Atwood Magazine. 27 August 2019 . August 27, 2019.
  6. Budden, Joe; Clay, Jamil; Farrell, Rory. The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory & Mal. July 31, 2019. The Joe Budden Podcast. Spotify. Episode Title: The Joe Budden Podcast Episode 267 'Ahoy Mans'.
  7. Web site: Brown. Bianca. Chiiild's 'Darling' Is a Hallucinogenic Heirloom of Love. Ones to Watch. Live Nation Entertainment. November 13, 2019.
  8. Web site: Robles. Jonathan. Listen to Chiiild's Mesmerizing New Single 'Hands Off Me'. Variance Magazine. January 22, 2020.
  9. Web site: 'Pirouette (Stripped)' - Single EPK. Avant Garden Records. July 22, 2020.
  10. Web site: Grey's Anatomy · S17E05 · Fight the Power. Tunefind. December 10, 2020.
  11. Web site: Apardian. Krista Marina. Chiiild Will Have You Hopping on Their 'Synthetic Soul' Train. Ones to Watch. Live Nation Entertainment. March 2, 2020.
  12. Web site: Garrison. Lucas. Synthetic Soul – [Chiiild]]. Lyrical Lemonade discography. March 3, 2020.
  13. Web site: Robinson. Dominiq. Chiiild's 'Synthetic Soul' Is Psychedelic R&B At Its Finest. HotNewHipHop. 29 February 2020 . Urbanlinx Media. February 29, 2020.
  14. Web site: Moore. Jacob. Gardner. Alex. Wines. Tiffany. Siber. Alex. Best New Artists of the Month (September). Pigeons & Planes. Complex Networks. September 24, 2019.
  15. Web site: Bennett. Ty. On the Rise: Chiiild. The Line of Best Fit. February 20, 2020.
  16. Web site: Manno. Lizzie. The 30 Canadian Artists You Need to Know in 2020. Paste. 8 May 2020 . Paste Media Group. May 12, 2020.
  17. Web site: . 9 Emerging Canadian Artists You Should Hear in April 2020. Exclaim!. Exclaim! Media. April 6, 2020.
  18. Web site: RADAR Canada: Artists to Watch 2021. Spotify. Spotify Technology S.A.. December 17, 2020.
  19. Web site: Triple J's Hottest 100 - 2020 Shortlist. Triple J's Hottest 100. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. December 8, 2020.
  20. Web site: 2020 We The Beat Awards. We The Beat. December 15, 2020.
  21. Web site: Chiiild / Synthetic Soul / Credits. Tidal. February 28, 2020.
  22. Web site: Synthetic Soul Overview. AllMusic. RhythmOne. December 16, 2020.
  23. Web site: 'Pirouette' Credits. AllMusic. RhythmOne. December 16, 2020.
  24. Web site: Synthetic Soul - Digital Download. MP3 Album. Schoolkids Records. Item #9013943538. February 28, 2020.

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