Syna Awel – Atlas Tapes
Ahead of her new release, Syna Awel talks about the family recordings that shaped it, learning to produce on her own terms, and why tradition doesn’t need decoration.
Where did this new record begin for you?
SynaIt started with a cassette my aunt recorded at a wedding in the Atlas mountains. I kept looping one chorus until it became the spine of the whole EP.
How do you balance traditional melodies with electronic production?
SynaI try not to decorate the old songs. The electronics are there to make the room bigger, not to change who is singing.
Most of the synths are tuned to the same scales my grandmother used. When it works, you can’t hear where one ends and the other begins.
What do you hope listeners who don’t know the language take from it?
SynaThe feeling first. The words can come later — or never. I’ve cried at songs I didn’t understand.
What’s next?
SynaA small tour in the spring, then back into the studio. I have forty minutes of wedding tape left.
Summary
Syna Awel describes a record built from family recordings, produced on their own terms, where traditional melodies and electronics share the same scales. She hopes listeners feel the songs before they understand the words, and plans a small tour in the spring before returning to the studio.