Syn Music's Epic Love Letter to Japanese Culture and Music

'Made In Japan' is a new collection of music produced and recorded by Syn and available for commercial licensing to clients in advertising, film, TV and other media. The process and journey of sourcing, curating and recording this collection of tracks took over two years, and the collection represents a diverse and eclectic expression of Japanese music and musicians using traditional Japanese instruments with more electronic hybrid scores. 

Recorded and mixed at Syn Studios Tokyo to the highest standards using some of Japan’s best musicians, this modern collection of Japanese music takes you on a unique journey from hip hop, electronic, zen meditation, J-pop vocals to dark mysterious and dramatic - all with a distinctly contemporary edge. It’s an epic love letter to Japanese culture and music, made to be shared with the world. 

Nick Wood, co-founder of Syn, discusses the sonic journey of 'Made In Japan'.

Q> What  inspired you to create 'Made In Japan'?

Nick Wood> After living in Japan for 32 years I thought it was time to create a collection of contemporary Japanese music. There’s a huge amount of interest in Japanese culture and great creative innovation in Japan. We wanted to put something together that would blend the traditional and innovative to describe the nuanced and complex offerings of Japanese music that would be interesting, and maybe even surprising, to audiences everywhere.

Q> What do you hope people take away from listening to the variety and breadth of music in the collection?

Nick> We hope this helps present the incredible bounty of exceptional music in Japan and showcases how creative Japanese composers, musicians and singers are. We are excited for people to discover how colourful Japanese music can be. And how eclectic. 

Q> How is the collection available to collaborators? 

Nick> Primarily available for clients to license music for film, TV, gaming and advertising. Although they are a joy to listen to on their own, each track was created to be partnered with visual media. Perhaps one day we will also release an album. In this day and age, where people are accustomed to going from one genre to the next, song to song, 'Made In Japan' works as a compilation playlist. 

Q> What are some of the things you learned in the process?

Nick> We are all capable of working single-handedly but when you add collaborators it takes any project to a whole new level. 'Made In Japan' represents a team of composers, arrangers, producers, and musicians all creating chemistry in the studio. It’s wonderful to bring creative teams and minds together to raise the level of creative offering and outcome, especially now. 

Q> Highlights along the way?

Nick> Recording a monk in a Shoyin temple in Kyoto. He's an incredibly spiritual, intellectual, and progressive person that comes from a long lineage of monks. I took my mobile studio and went through the process of recording as a religious offering in an extraordinary and inspiring atmosphere. Overall, the level of musicians and remarkable level of collaboration we were able to bring to the table was a massive highlight. It’s called 'Made In Japan', but within it there is a great global mix of people who live in Japan and love its music and culture, who contributed to this project.