An album release from Suya Synergy displays a unique approach to expansive and vast undertones with electronic and natural instrumentation that all builds this beautiful atmosphere you end up falling right into as it gets itself wrapped around you and keeps you right where it wants to.
The Aquarius album is an outstanding display of layered textures that come together to form a cinematic backbone. With this, you get a dreamy underbelly that you end up floating right alongside and it feels amazing to do exactly that.
Throughout the records unfolding, you get elements of rock, industrial, and a lot more blended into the already genre-bending approaches which is something I find completely refreshing because by the time you get three or four tracks deep, you begin to expect the unexpected.
This record is composed and created with a lot of attention to detail, but it also has this natural and forward-moving flow along with a lot of heart.
All of these things come through with the music and do so a little bit differently with each track.
I love the absolutely gorgeous layers of texture that lay atop each other and build these atmospheres because it's something that you get engulfed in and then eventually washed away with as well.
It's been a long time since I've heard a record that takes you a long and this drifting and expensive soundscape so that you can get away from your everyday reality.
Some of this is slightly haunting, while some of it is angelic and dreamy.
It's always a little bit different but it always has this almost ethereal texture to it and this is something that draws me into the record deeper and deeper.
The blend of electronic and natural instrumentation is quite genius as there are tracks with synths, keys, and electronic beats, but also electric guitars, vocals, and all kinds of other stuff.
When I say that this record builds an atmosphere, this is exactly what I mean.
The record has a ranging set of intensities, flows, and smoothness so that you get a record that, all in all, is built with fewer boundaries than you may be used to.
There's something about it that feels warm and welcoming most of the time. I enjoyed this feeling throughout the course of the record, and I can tell you right now that this whole album is a complete escape. It pulls you away from wherever you are and whatever you're doing and puts you in this entirely different world for a chunk of time which, in my opinion, is a beautiful gift in music.
Now, this is a big record that spans about 45 minutes in length but it's worth every second.
I will highly suggest that you not only listen to this record in full, from beginning to end, but you do it with headphones on so that you can really soak in all the textures and notes that are floating through the ethers of some of these tracks.
With the release of such a wonderfully woven record we wanted to have a sit-down with Suya Synergy to talk about this release and more. Here's what happened.
Buzz Slayers: Okay, let's start with the Aquarius album! This record was spacious and cinematic with beautiful and edgy textures! How did this album come about?
This album came about during the pandemic. Since the first alerts about a lethal, completely unknown virus, something awoke in me. Somehow I knew this too shall pass but it would take some time, then when it finally did, the world as we knew it would cease to be. I remember late March, getting on an airplane with my at the time fiancee, hurrying to get back home to Brazil from Austin, Tx. The look on people's faces, completely dissociated, in profound awe, alienated. This alienation was bound to come forth. In 2012, there was a whole revelation that the end of the world was finally upon our so-called reality. Indeed, it did end. But we are physical beings living in a material world, of course the end would be fantasized into continent melting lava, the implosion of our core or the invasion of very intelligent and aggressive cosmic beings. Not saying that any of the above can't happen, I mean, what is reality anyways right?
But yes, the world ended as we knew it. It became unknown, as the mysteries of sensations, ancestry, human complexity and the self, began to surface.
Astrology became one of the top conversational subjects in a room over the last 10 years. More legions and religions came to be. Several speaking about emotions as the greatest technology. Numerous therapeutic approaches that came to be. We could say our CORE imploded. These tools and knowledge have always been there. They just didn't have the essential outreach to embrace the masses.
A pattern then started to form. People were thirsty for all that was no longer limited to their physical vessels. Something shifted within, we grew more interested and captivated by the possibility of finding out our who's and where from. Despite the desire and receptivity for such evolutionary experience, the material world also expanded in parallel as science developed and busy screens became an authentic scenery on our journey path within this Earth. This parallel technological explosion accelerated all of our internal clocks, setting it into turbo speed, no time to feel, sit, breathe. Breathing, simply IS. There is no You or Me let alone Us, if not for our first breaths. But how did the most ancient creator of life, our only palpable treasure ACTUALLY WORTH LIVING, become just a small detail we no longer thought about anymore? How could we forget that the only thing that lets us remember, is what we take for granted the most?
And so 2020 hit with the reaction to this all. People stopped breathing. Millions of thousands, suffocated. One momental whisper, becoming an eternity of silence. That sure made us STOP, and reevaluate. I remember participating in and leading the 21 days of Abundance of Deepak Chopra via a WhatsApp chain. The connections were extending, and we all remembered our calling to DIScover our SOULS. For so long camouflaged by bones and pigmented skins, layers so thin compared to its true magnitude. Covering up judgemental characters, deep unhealed wounds, uncertainty of the existence of life in its essential form... All life on Earth depends on the freedom to change.
And so Aquarius was born. I felt a calling for disseminating all these precious seeds of ancient consciousness the Universe has been giving me. I was diagnosed with OCD in 2022, which made so much sense for how this manifestation came to be. Time really isn't linear. In Ioruba culture/religion, there is a saying that goes something like this: "Exu matou um pássaro ontem com a pedra que só jogou hoje". Time is not what we perceive as before being called that, He already existed. Evolution is a spiral dance, when all that exists remains while our perspectives shift and alter our perceptions. I've always been so concentrated on every little detail within me that lead me to a bigger awareness of the world outside. You could even say I've been obsessing over a thought or word said ages ago that no one else might remember. For a long time that made me anxious, as my behavior could seem awkward amongst the "normal" people. But then I came to realize, spirituality was trying to communicate with me. Through repeating thoughts and sensations, I got closer to my entire experience, actually recognizing my body, my consciousness. I became conscious of my entire being, Here. Astrologically it's proven that we change Eras every 2000 years or so. We are currently living this transition. Leaving the Age of Pisces, which began with the peak of the Roman Empire delivering the rise of Christianity. The two fishes of Pisces represent the opposites of spirituality and materialism, faith and science. This is bound to be the end of duality, welcoming plurality not limiting our existences only to what already exists, but expanding our minds into the everlasting existence of the Unknown.
It was said that when we reached such an Era, technology would make accessible the impossible, and the human mind would finally give in to the sentiments of the soul. A higher dimension made up of unconditional love and the acknowledgement that we truly are each a part of the whole. Within this reality, judgements would be overrated, fear understood and reevaluated, love not a cliche but the fundamental role of all generations; At last, Nature and men, reflected as one.
Buzz Slayers: How did this all start for you as an artist? When did this all start for you?
As soon as I was born, haha! It sounds cliché, but it's true. My mother tells me that I would wake up singing; that's how I would say good morning to the world! My father, Heládio Torinho, is a great guitarist who played with artists who are now my idols, like Margareth Menezes. During my childhood in Salvador (where I was born), I remember that giant bus stopping at our door, and my dad saying "see you later!" as he embarked on another tour. When he rehearsed at home, he played the guitar with me on his lap. Even though I don't have tangible memories of this experience, I am fully convinced that this experience echoes in my essence every day.
At the age of 9, I was invited by my mother to learn the piano, and it became my first instrument. From then on, the orchestra that already existed in my head began to become real, finally having a tool to assist me in achieving that. I started composing early, writing lyrics that shouted to the winds the fruits of my expansive imagination. In the sixth grade, I began to explore three more instruments: the clarinet, the drums, and the steel drum (the Caribbean percussive instrument). In just two months of being in the school philharmonic, I became first chair clarinet. My passion for the musical world only became more intense, to the point of wanting to experiment with homemade articles to create new instruments, which would later be part of my recordings with cassette experiments. I am a true 90s Kid, hahaha.
The guitar, now my main instrument, came to me at the age of 12. I remember the first songs I learned from my father; I repeated the same repertoire of two songs everywhere I went, "Girassol" by Alceu Valença and "Epitáfio" by Titãs. I found Rock, created my first band, and from there, the deep dive had already become Life. The definition of music for me.
Buzz Slayers: What kind of things really inspire songs for you?
Songs that pull on my heartstrings.
Buzz Slayers: This album has some great styles on it! Can you give us some of your biggest influences musically?
From an early age, I was exposed to various genres and cultures. My family is very musical, with beautiful songs always embracing us at every family gathering. My grandmother listening to bolero, jazz, and samba; my father singing Rita Lee classics while grooving to Luís Caldas' rhythm and Joe Satriani's solos. The '90s pagode that my cousin listened to while studying the cavaquinho, and the interstellar journeys provided by Pink Floyd's guitar solos that my mother (Dj Zia Satyam) always sang emotionally, reminiscing about her youth in London. Not to mention the world travels that have always been a pivot in my musical knowledge.
I left Brazil at the age of 9, heading straight to Hong Kong, where I studied at a Canadian school (haha). What happens when a little Baiana lands in the East? Fusion!
We traveled extensively through Asia, and I was introduced to a culture practically opposite to what I knew. This expanded my perspectives while still in the process of forming as a little human being of this Earth. The extravagance of Bollywood, Buddhist mantras echoed in all of “Buddha Bar”, the different entonation between Mandarin and Cantonese Chinese – everything was music to my ears, and today, that still prevails.
The Disco Music of the brilliant Gloria Gaynor and Diane Ross was also very present during my childhood, along with the guitars of Ali Farka Touré intertwined with the percussiveness of a distant Bahia but so present in me, my African matrix. Buena Vista's Salsa didn't escape me, nor did the Blues loaded with ancestry. I had my metalhead phase, all in black, terrorizing my room with the soundtrack CD of one of the zombie classics, "Resident Evil" (hahaha), as well as an emotional rock period listening to everything from The Smiths to Blink 182. The 80s have always been a much-appreciated decade for me. Whether listening to Depeche Mode's synthesized intros, the dark and passionate voices of The Cure, or the razor-sharp melodies of A-HA in "Take on me," I could claim that alongside the definition of "eclectic" in the dictionary, my name is written. Today, with the evolution of electronic music allowing the creation of so many environments, essences, and creations, I've also become a great lover of various genres such as Black Coffee's House Music and Infected Mushroom's psychedelia. I like what makes me feel. I feel, therefore I'm ALIVE!
Given that, I don't even need to mention the effect of Brazilian music that lives within me. The Brazilian people have a lot of feeling; they do it with passion. Some albums that played on a loop on my Discman were "Feijão com Arroz" by Daniela Mercury and "Admirável Chip Novo" by Pitty. Caetano, Gil, Gal, Legião, Cazuza, Ultraje a Rigor, and even Sandy and Junior. All mixed together. With so much influence, today I identify my musical genre as SYNERGY, the alchemy that arises from this effusion of the senses. I like music that makes the strings of my heart vibrate.
Buzz Slayers: What are you doing when you're NOT working on music?
Meditating, connecting with nature, reading, loving and supporting my family, writing my many thoughts and ideas. Getting to know myself is my favorite.
Buzz Slayers: Who's in your headphones right now?
I’ve definitely binged on my “Soothing Moons” playlist. As the words entail, these are songs that make me think of the moon on a warm summer evening. There is something about the air. It vaguely swarms in a soothing pattern, as if hurrying to get somewhere slowly. Melodies that surpass the meaning of time, the equilibrium in a freefall; a good moment to cook per say?
Buzz Slayers: Are you doing any live performances right now?
Last semester I was on a small medicinal music tour within the low bpm and chill out electronic scenes. As 2024 approached I submersed into my new album “Devaneio Veraneio”, as I also start to envision finally performing “Aquarius” live!
Buzz Slayers: Did you record yourself or hit a big studio for this?
At home, with a 2channel interface, my headphones my guitars and my mind. My demons were there too most definitely, sorrows that bloom.
Buzz Slayers: What can your fans expect from you in the near future?
I am releasing my second album “Devaneio Veraneio”. "Devaneio Veraneio" is a musical project that means a lot to me. It's an exploration of the diverse rhythms of Salvador, including pagode, infused with a modern touch. While I've aimed for innovation, I want to acknowledge the incredible musical traditions that have influenced me.
The album is my attempt to contribute something meaningful to the rich tapestry of Brazilian music. I draw inspiration from the rhythms of my roots and hope to offer a musical experience that resonates with the cultural heritage of Salvador.
My goal is to provide listeners with a moment of joy and connection through "Devaneio Veraneio." It is all about the never ending summer vibrations. Drawing inspiration from my roots and the Brazilian rhythmic pulse, it is imbued with the transformative power of music. As I merge my vocalization and instrumental skills, I am creating a musical experience that mirrors the vibrant streets of Bahia, where tradition dances with innovation and melodies intertwine to form a symphony of unity.
Once again, I bring sonic healing to the forefront, igniting a harmonious fusion between the healing intent of my compositions and the captivating appeal of mainstream music. In the heart of Salvador, where rhythms tell stories and melodies evoke emotions, my album finds its place – a bridge between cultural heritage and the progressive horizon of musical expression.
Just as the country's rhythms (including carioca funk and northeastern baião) serve as a backdrop for celebration and connection, "Devaneio Veraneio" becomes a transformative journey, inviting listeners to embark on an odyssey of healing through sound. Through my vision, the musical legacy of Bahia takes on new dimensions, inviting us to experience the magic of music as a cultural anchor and a vehicle for personal well-being.
Buzz Slayers: Before we go, what would you like to say to fans of the music?
To me, music exists in everything, not just within structured stanzas and verses dictated by the music industry but in everything we hear, even in the silence that resides within it. Beyond the objectivity of music theory and technical proficiency, not much is said about the energy embedded in a song through the one who expresses it. The way each person forms frequencies when emitting a sound varies, just as no one has the same fingerprint. We are water bodies that both modify frequencies and are influenced by them. In this way, a manifested frequency alters the vibration of the listener, who then "exhales" that frequency, influencing the transformation in their environment and the people they interact with. It's a delightful cycle that can and should be used as a tool for healing a species that lost itself in time while trying to control it. There is indeed a constant symphony propagating in our environment, from molecules transformed on their journey through the winds of time. Perhaps not as audible as a masterfully crafted sound about to be released on digital platforms, but like seeds that enter our minds concealed in whispers that engage with our subconscious, consciously. Nature is the pioneer of the term "brainwashing," but for the sake of evolution. This washing was distorted as a weapon of capitalism to influence an entire nation with habits that have become a poison in a people created to LOVE and embrace their environment.
Don’t be afraid to listen.
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