Synthcake

How was the process of making Alice?
It was a very unique experience for me, I had never been on set with a large crew like that. It was incredibly challenging but also very inspiring. Everyone was really excited to be there and work hard, the level of professionalism was refreshing.

Can you tell me some of the basics: where was it filmed? How long did it take? Who was involved?
I met the director Ian McDonald in music school years ago, he was the one who approached me with the concept. There were a lot of people involved! Maybe 20? It was filmed in South Burnaby, it felt a bit like a journey to get there so I guess that is fitting I was on set for about 3 days and the hours were really long, that doesn’t compare to the post-production though! We started last December.

What were the challenges (if any) in making Alice?
Working in front of a green screen! It is hard to use your imagination when you’re in front of a large crew of people in a barren room with a bunch of film gear! Oh, and on a treadmill half the time haha. Each tiny shot I would have to do over and over again until it was just right. I had also been going through a difficult time in my life and hadn’t really slept in 6 months, so when I overcame and pulled through I felt empowered and almost enlightened.

Are you satisfied with the end results?
Yes! The crew did such an amazing job! I love the second half when I crawl into the dark world and then my band mates show up.

What are your expectations for Alice?
I never really have any expectations when putting art out there. I hope people enjoy it and that it brings more life to the song and the story.



How does the video complement the song (and vice versa)?
The song is about my imaginary friend when I was a kid and about not forgetting to look at the world the way you once did. I liked dark and fantastical things at young age so I guess this video was really a window into my child brain of the past. It is psychedelic and playful and I think there were a lot of little nuances in the music that the crew picked up on and had fun with.

You grew up in an age of MuchMusic. How has your appreciation of the medium changed over the years?
I used to video tape my favorite videos off MuchMusic and watch them over and over. Now, I find myself fast forwarding through videos half the time and I’m sure I’m not the only one. It’s not news that we have become overstimulated. Especially after doing a couple of music videos in the past year it reminds me how much sweat and blood goes into these things. I need to slow down and appreciate the fine art that goes into them.

Does the video still have value?
I think since it seems to be more of a story than a music video at times it might just capture people’s attention enough to keep watching.

Lastly, how was the premiere? (Sorry I wasn’t able to attend.)
The premiere was really great! It was part of the weekly SNAG art event where there are a ton of talented artists creating live works at the Cobalt. It was really an ideal evening to be a part of - Vivoscene

Her Dark Materials

Perhaps it’s best not to demand edification or instruction on how to feel about the musical trek that Vancouver’s Synthcake takes you on. It’s human folly, one supposes, to make sense of objet d’art, to impose meaning upon everything while spinning a wide web of expertise and arcana. True, Synthcake will take the listener down curious thoroughfares, into bizarre back roads, and on delightful detours filled with crashes of colour, chimerical characters and strangely inhabited places.

“When people ask about our sound I start off by warning them that we’re kind of weird,” says lambent ingenue Lana Pitre (lead vocals, synths), prudently and with a smirk. Her avant-garde pop band is particular, to be sure. An itch of glockenspiel suggests a vaudevillian yarn as keyboard washes claw to Sun Ra’s constellation and Pitre’s dreamy, tremulous trill, like magic essentials, makes mystical poetic potions.

“When I first started writing music for Synthcake I wasn’t even sure of my intentions or where it would lead. I got my first synthesizer and I started messing around on it—I used to write everything on guitar—but the synths really inspired me, surprisingly. They were my new partner in crime and these sounds just started coming out and then people just started saying to me, ‘oh, it’s so circus-y!’ At first that surprised me but I got into it, it struck me as pretty cool and interesting. There’s certainly a kind of circus and dance-y electronic feel. We’re certainly experimental. It’s high-energy stuff and it has to be because I like to smile and goof around a lot.”

Synthcake, is self-conscious pop art par excellence. Essentially the aural equivalent of a museum full to burst with eccentric expertise, a place where trumpets peal, drums diverge and coalesce like Roman candles.

Molding Through Seasons, Synthcake’s sophomore EP from last year, certainly arched a few sceptical eyebrows, as a studious art house take on circus-styled Brechtian electro pop would. But Pitre and her in flux cadre of musicians possess undeniable force and mystery. Tracks like “Drip” and “Alice” (each with eerie videos soon to be unleashed) use dreamlike imagery with abandon, as Pitre’s poetry accumulate a risky interpretive sinew like that of a Rorschach blot.


Photo copyright Jensen Gifford

“There’s a dark, haunting quality, I admit,” says Pitre. “That’s a deep-rooted part of me, going back to my childhood, I guess. I was always into just the creepiest things and I wanted to be a witch—I was always interested in witchcraft. I never went too far with it but I was fascinated by all the imagery and creepy abandoned houses or like, Ouija boards…” There’s a pregnant pause before Pitre lets loose some genuine giggles. “I guess I freaked my mom out a fair bit,” she continues, excitedly. “I’d always sneak watching horror movies and even, like, the X-Files, which I wasn’t supposed to watch. So, the darkness that’s in Synthcake is there because that’s what intrigues me since forever. It may sound cheesy, but I’m deliberately trying to get back to some of the things that I liked when I was a kid and stay in touch with my inner child.”

There’s a level of theatricality, sure, and shadows, too, yes, but Synthcake isn’t interested in revisiting Kate Bush or Siouxsie Sioux (their influence is debatable anyhow). Pitre’s genius, perhaps, may stem from an impatience or an edginess with context and format; her “pop songs” and her “rock band” borne of an art-school outlook.

“Sometimes I feel like a bit of a black sheep but we certainly have a lot of supporters and people who are in to us. But sometimes I can’t help but wonder, where do we belong, you know?”

It’s bracing and telling of Pitre’s oeuvre, that she show some worry. There’s a bit of a line-up change happening, but it’s bound to when creative types corral.

“Things have been a bit shaky with the band but I’ve got this exciting energy flow building up. I’m also trying to be patient and work on my skills and do things in my meticulous way. I’m going to keep fighting for it, basically. My goal has always been to do a full length. I’m going to write as much as possible so that we can do an LP. I have a lot of songs written but I keep telling myself that a lot of them aren’t good enough, so I challenge myself to keep at it and keep improving.”

Like her brave counterpart in “Dancing Brain,” from 2011's marvellous Musicophilia reiterates: “I will rise up, I will be victorious…” Pitre’s deeds and pursuits are hard fought.

“I have high standards for myself and I have to remind myself that there have been a lot of positive things and so much good stuff that’s come out of Synthcake,” says Pitre, precisely. “I’m proud with what I’ve accomplished.”

And her accomplishments have been considerable and courageous, teetering on the abyss of New Wave and carny colours with an arguably antiquated Oompah Band approach. Sorta. Certainly, class act Kristy-Lee Audette (glo - Vivoscene

Wasfuersohr:
"These songs are a perfect example of how to turn disharmonious synthesizer tunes into incredibly catchy songs. The first song especially was bound to be annoying pretty soon, due to the over use of one word repeated over and over and over again. I expected to be fed up with this rather special style of music rather sooner than later, but this point simply never came, which speaks volumes regarding the overall quality and variety of this record. That first song "Musicophilia" is probably even due to its features the best possible choice as opener, as it eases the listener into the quirky and haunting tunes of Synthcake with an extremely memorable and hummable backdrop. Another very remarkable song is "House Love Ground", which definitely would fit right in in a goth opera or musical (Think Repo! The Genetic Opera), not unlike many of the other songs. I think the general musical mixture of Goth Opera song direction and haunted Halloween tunes is definitely underused, and these songs are nothing else but refreshingly different, original, yet unbelievably catchy due to the addition of an equally enchanting and bewitching female lead singer. "Musicophilia" will drag you into depths of pop you didnt even know existed, putting a spell on you not many will be able to resist. Only question left is why the outro is right in the middle of the record (only available after download). Be aware of this record, even the track sequence is haunted!" - Wasfuersohr

The Georgia Straight: "Lana Pitre’s Synthcake is easily the most demented outfit in town, specializing in through-the-looking-glass cabaret pop that sounds like the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba! drunkenly ripping into the Tom Waits songbook."

Favourite Christmas song: “One that’s very nostalgic for me is the Vandals cover by No Doubt, ‘Oi to the World’. Gwen Stefani was my hero when I was young, and I remember I had a mix tape with that on it when I was a kid.”

Best gift ever: “I got a stuffed monkey when I was a kid, and that kind of got me through my childhood. It’s kind of like Winnie-the-Pooh was to Christopher Robin—that whole world. That was my stuffed monkey. So I would say that probably was the best. I mean, everything else is just a blur, really, to be honest. You get so many Christmas gifts over the years and everything—electronics and stuff—it’s not really that meaningful.” - The Georgia Straight

The Georgia Straight: "Lana Pitre’s Synthcake is easily the most demented outfit in town, specializing in through-the-looking-glass cabaret pop that sounds like the cast of Yo Gabba Gabba! drunkenly ripping into the Tom Waits songbook."

Favourite Christmas song: “One that’s very nostalgic for me is the Vandals cover by No Doubt, ‘Oi to the World’. Gwen Stefani was my hero when I was young, and I remember I had a mix tape with that on it when I was a kid.”

Best gift ever: “I got a stuffed monkey when I was a kid, and that kind of got me through my childhood. It’s kind of like Winnie-the-Pooh was to Christopher Robin—that whole world. That was my stuffed monkey. So I would say that probably was the best. I mean, everything else is just a blur, really, to be honest. You get so many Christmas gifts over the years and everything—electronics and stuff—it’s not really that meaningful.” - The Georgia Straight

Jam Space: "First up was Synthcake, a band you can reasonably judge by its name. No guitars, multiple keyboards, sweet as pie (or cake) vocals, and a xylophone/trumpet player clad in what was either a really posh Sailor Jupiter costume or a vintage Japanese figure skater's outfit from the Nagano Olympics (my sincere apologies to the readers for failing to capture an image of this glorious garment, and equally sincere apologies to Synthcake for taking band shots so horrible that I could not submit them with the article). They opened to a relatively empty house with a sheepish sweetness that said "go ahead and play coy, but you know you wanna come eyefuck me up close". The most endearing moments of the set came during the title track from the band's most recent effort "Molding Through Seasons". This was largely due to the harmonies and horn blows of band member Kristy-Lee Audette. Audette adds a layer of texture to Synthcake's sound and performance that allows you to close your eyes and imagine you're about to witness a Mexican standoff in the bathroom at a Combustible Edison concert." - Jam Space

Tilt-Spin: "Likewise, I am a fan of Synthcake, perhaps the most aptly named band in all of pop. Between the band and the song, we have an abundance of words that sound like the things that they represent." - Tilt-Spin

Tilt-Spin: "Well, they called themselves 'Synthcake', you know, and delivered on that name with some exquisite dark-yet-carnival fare. This album of theirs - and the one they released this year - are definitely worth a spot in your ever-growing music library." - Tilt-Spin

Discorder:
"Finally we came to the main act, and from open to close, they crushed it. Synthcake’s music is weird and atmospheric on the album, but when you hear it live it has a darker edge and the carnival-esque quality stands out to the point that their songs will make you afraid of clowns all over again. Lana Pitre’s synth loops along with Kristy-Lee Audette’s trumpet and glock come together to produce a positively deranged sound on new track “Molding Through Seasons,” while older “Dancing Rain” took on a whole new life when performed live. It was a visceral performance, and they topped it all off by serving a synth-shaped cake made by Pitre’s parents. It was a bizarrely fitting end to a crazy show." - Discorder

Winnie Cooper:
"One of the toughest tricks in being a pop musician is creating music that feels current, and yet sets itself apart from it’s peers. In the midst of Vancouver’s indie scene, Synthcake rears it’s mast. The band makes a unique blend of electronic pop music that leaves many other local acts feeling just a tad generic. Believe it or not, Lana Pitre, frontlady and songstress of Synthcake, gets away with making indie-electro-circus pop, this is honestly the best way to describe what you hear.
Molding Through the Seasons is their freshly released EP. The five tracks offer a rich blend between hallucinative and haunting lady voices, and bouncing carnival grooves that are just plain fun." - Winnie Cooper

Wasfuersohr:
"Synthcake's first EP, Musicophilia, was one of the most entertaining aural experiences I had throughout the whole of 2011. It also made my Top 3 list of 2011 and if you haven't listened to it yet, take this post as a friendly reminder to check out their free and incredibly impressive debut EP. Starting with those expectations, its hard to judge Molding through Seasons. Returning listeners are usually inclined to want more of what they already liked and that is not quite what Synthcake delivered here. This time, the world you are going to enter is not as easy going and inviting, which isn't bad by any means. "Different" is the key word here. Whereas Musicophilia was the equivalent of haunted tales coming to life in your bedroom and showing you little dark secrets that nevertheless are far away from your safe resting place, Molding through Seasons lures and pulls you right down in the pitch black and haunted dancing grounds of creatures that will make you feel a bit more than just uneasy. This EP, as short as it may be, is a journey from which you can't back off once you started it. Let me show you what I mean: The first track is more reminiscent of the first EP, and which indeed has already seen a prior release, therefore luring the listener with something familiar into this dark carneval. After this beginning, you are introduced to softly singing and enchanting sirens that tempt you to come with them on their journey, luring listeners into the haunting story of Alice. Here, the parallels between Alice's and the listeners world seem to blur, only to finally culminate into the dark carnival you attend at the end of song 4 - Molding through Seasons.
While they deviate quite a bit from the overall feeling of Musicophilia, they somehow manage staying true to their own style of inviting people on a haunted dance. A different dance this time for sure, but nonetheless still as refreshing and special as their first invitation. The use of experimental sounds, more elaborate story telling and once more superb and unique feeling are making Molding through Seasons another journey I heartily recommend to any brave soul willing to dance in the shadows to songs unknown." - Wasfuersohr

The Dadada:
"With enchanting female vocals, vibrant synthesizers, and strong rhythms, Vancouver band Synthcake creates a charming brand of synth-pop.  Labeling their music “sci-fi-delic”, the quintet uses copious synthesizer and percussion to render adventurous vaudevillian science fiction soundscapes." - THE DADADA

Vanmusic:
"Synthcake is one of my favourite upcoming Vancouver bands. I saw them play for the first time at Blim, Synthcake was a three piece then. I was impressed with the performance that night."

"Their music reminds me of a circus or a carnival; a modern Danse Macabre, especially the song House Love Ground. According to the description their music is “Twisted, angelic space vocals, fat grimy synth tones, raunchy, primal dance beats”. To me is like a weird doll dance. The single could be Musicophilia, a very catchy tune; Red raw is a little more theatrical, I love the sound of the warped synthesizers. The accordion and trumpet put the icing in the band, the new additions make Synthcake sound more mysterious and richer; Drip, is a perfect example of this."

"The show featured a snow cone machine or raspados as we call them in Mexico. They also had a rotation Ferris Wheel, and a circus performer who was very entertaining, he goes by Neil E. Dee & danger thrill show."

"Synthcake came with a blast, their music added the missing part to complement an hallucinatory trip that converted the Cobalt into a room that you could only enter through the rabbit hole. The dance floor was full with people dancing to the keyboards’ strokes, the attendees were transformed for that night into dolls, it was like a ballroom of toys jumping around and Synthcake were pulling the strings with their twisted melodies. I don’t know if that gig can be repeated, but be sure you don’t miss Synthcake when they play. "

"You could download their EP here and listen to the podcast of The Morning After Show where they played LIVE! on the air. The show starts with Glenn Chatten and then half way through you will listen to an exclusive interview and performance by Synthcake."
- Vanmusic

Sloan Bones:
"Next was Synthcake with members from the band Like Animals Again. Lana (on synth) did all singing which was not a problem with her awesome jazzy style which also mixed really well with their Sci Fi Circus pop sound. The drummer of this band knows how to shuffle like a mad man, with the added awesome synth playing of Adam (synth, electric piano) made their set a sweet tasty delight! They didn’t play long but the songs were memorable and fit for a crazy light show at the planetarium. Lana also told me that their 6 song ep engineered by Mirchcea will be out soon so be on the lookout for that." - Sloan Bones

Rock and Roll Website:
"I got to spend time with the great new Vancouver band Synthcake while I was in town, and actually got to be around when this shoot was going down. The band is layer upon layer of synth, frosted with Lana’s sweet vocals and a sick back end. If you are in Vancouver, check them out, give the trumpet player a huge five, and tell them Gayron sent you. Props to Tasty Ears for production on the video." - Rock and Roll Website

Ubiquitous Spook-Wendy Dyk Blogspot:
"Last Friday was Synthcake's EP release. Complete with a circus side show act and edible synth cake, this now quintet circus pop group (decked out in Misery & Co threads / stage art) danced the Cobalt night away with their dark playful music, giving you the feeling like your in a Tim Burton movie."
- Ubiquitous Spook-Wendy Dyk Blogspot

Plenty:
"Haunting yet angelic vocals and synth melodies reminiscent of a haunted circus or sci-fi film from the 60's explode into an auditory high with local band Synthcake.

Vocalist Lana Pitre along with Chris Martell (drums), Adam Horn (keys), Nathan Schubert (synth), and Kristy-Lee Audette (trumpet) are members of the deliciously sweet Synthcake. Extremely unique, Synthcake is one of Vancouver's rising stars with the release of their first EP Musicophilia this year. Jazz style vocals along with layers of synth, and bursts of trumpet push into a realm of circus inspired musical bliss. Their live performances are something not to be missed - sometimes sporting confetti cannons, mini ferris wheels, and at times actual synth cake! Pick up Musicophilia at your local record store right away or walk into one of our locations to hear it in the stores!



Check out their Bandcamp and keep your eyes peeled for their next live performance!" - Plenty

Plenty:
"Musicophillia marked the debut release of Vancouver based synth-pop troupe Synthcake. Their circus inspired sounds combined with lead singer Lana Pitre's incredible voice have made this band a favourite of the local scene. Musicophillia gets most of its strength from the fact that the tracks all give a similar experience yet don't step over each other or end up being an album that all sounds like the first song. Superbly fun, Musicophillia just makes me more excited for this local act to release a full length album!"
- Plenty

Canpages:
"if you like synthesizers, circus music, and hot women there is a good chance you will like Synthcake." - Canpages

Vanmusic:
"I saw these guys playing at Blim gallery on Pender street, the song Musicophilia stuck in my head. Synthcake is the brainchild of Lana Marie Pitre, her voice reminded me of Becky from You Say Party, but the music is darker, more macabre and less new waveish. They are part of a musical indie experimental pop movement that is shaping in Vancouver with bands like Language Arts, The Kidnap Kids, Nothofagus, Aunts and Uncles, Wintermitts, Apollo ghosts, The Rain and The Sidewalk, Petroleum By Products among others, a lot of them fronted by talented women and a lot of them guided by youth. So welcome Synthcake to the movement, and lets follow them through their journey in the music scape of this city of rain.

They define themselves as experimental/psychedelic/pop. Lana, is backed up by Adam and Marty, with Adam she played in the recently defunct band Like Animals Again which was a life changing experience for Lana “I got my first Synth to play in Like Animals Again and I absolutely fell in love. Before my Synth I wrote on the guitar and although I liked my songs I wasn’t compelled to pursue them. Once I got my synth and started to mess around with it I completed my first Synthcake song “dancing brain” and then the rest of the songs to follow. The synth was my muse and my inspiration. It completely changed my song writing and for the better!” refers to Vanmusic about her synth. As of the name, the first part is crystal clear and about the second part Lana finishes “The cake is sweet and indulgent and can be a metaphor for a few things, I like to think of it as a reference to sexuality and music. Something about cake is sexy! or romantic; girl jumping out of cake, weddings etc.”

They have been working incredibly hard on their Synthcake’s first EP “Musicophilia” so they are throwing a listening party by donation on April 8 at the Toast Collective at 468 Kingsway. There will be synth cake (edible!!) and a dance party to follow. There will be a bar to purchase drinks! If you can’t make the listening party the release party will be in June. Come help these guys and mingle with the music community of Vancouver, a lot of them will be there." - Vanmusic

Vanmusic:
"Ok, doing a list of my favourite bands for 2011 was really difficult to say the least, there are so many great bands and artists around that made my decisions tough ones. I checked other peoples lists, press mentions, radio plays, friends favourites, gigs, etc. But I finally compiled my list and here it is!"

"My list starts with the best of 2011 (alphabetical order) and ends with some bands to watch in 2012. This year should be an interesting one, it has the potential for the Vancouver Music Movement to explode. Be part of the movement."

- Vanmusic

Vocododo:
"Cinq drôles d’énergumènes jouant une étrange musique, voici Synthcake. C’est assez difficile de mettre dans une case ce groupe originaire de Vancouver. Musicophilia est le nom de leur premier EP sorti cette été.

Dans un style cabaret loufoque, Synthcake propose un musique à la fois pop et psychédélique. On trouve un nombre assez impressionnant de sons, et de textures dans ces six chansons. On aime cette voix jazzy et ce synthé décalé! En téléchargement gratuit !

Au fait si vous vous demandez à quoi ressemble un synthcake, jetez un coup d’œil ici. "

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"Five fanatics playing a strange music, this is Synthcake! It’s quite hard to put this band from Vancouver in a box. Musicipholia is the name of their first EP, released this summer.

Synthcake manages to combine pop music and psychedelics influences, It’s outrageously fanciful. There is an incredible number of sounds, rhythms and textures in these six songs. We like this jazzy voice and this burlesque keyboard! Free Download !

By the way, if you want to know what a synthcake is, have a look here." - Vocododo (Dublin, Paris, Moscow, Rouen)

Wasfuersohr:
"This was the most surprising album I heard all year. I still cant quite decide whether the "Haunted" music feeling subgenre is just critically underused or whether they just did a very, very convincing job at a highly difficult task. Making catchy pop songs out of basically music not unfitting at a Halloween party is quite a feat. Can't wait for all the bands we mentioned here to release their next records. Synthcake is original, haunting, catchy and the best cake I got all year." - Wasfuersohr

Discorder:
"We arrived as locals Synthcake were a couple of songs deep into their set. As you may have gathered by their moniker, the group is a little heavy on the synthesizer. But despite the cute name, this isn’t easily digestible, wimpy synth pop. Sounding like a cross between a gothic carnival band and the soundtrack to a rockin’ horror comedy film, Synthcake wowed us with big brassy trumpet blasts, crunk-nasty keyboard licks and danceable songs. Vocalist Lana Pitre has a great gift of voice that carries down into your guts and stirs around as the band plays on with a not too serious dramatic flair. The band just released an EP called Musicophilia, and they were striking enough for me to buy it." - Discorder

The Georgia Straight:
"When vocalist Lana Pitre took possession of her first synth for the defunct Like Animals Again, she left the dreary old three-dimensional world with all its boring guitars behind, exploding with bandmates Adam Horn (keys), Chris Martell (drums), Kristy-Lee Audette (trumpet), and Nathan Shubert (accordion) into a phosphorescent new realm where everything sounds like a circus orchestra made out of sponge crashing into a Brazilian kids TV show. Musicophilia couldn’t possibly be a more apt title for Synthcake’s EP."

Best local release other than yours

“Apollo Ghosts, Money Has No Heart. I’m a huge fan of Apollo Ghosts. This record is a bit grimier and a bit more punk rock than what they usually do, but there’s still that kind of ’50s style.”

The year’s best gig

“No Band, Apollo Ghosts, and My Friend Wallis at the Planetarium [June 21]. I rushed there right from work with my backpack and everything and I walked in just as My Friend Wallis was playing trippy, dreamy, beach pop with all these lights everywhere, and all of a sudden it’s like you’re in space, but it’s retro looking, with these dreamy vocals over top. And of course, Apollo Ghosts are always awesome. It was just the coolest night.”

We’re road-tripping. Who’s on the stereo?

“Les Amis au Pakistan, Espace Libidinal. They’re my heroes and I can’t even explain it. They’re from Montreal and it’s crazy, dance, electro, French pop, with really interesting, fat beats, and it’s so eclectic, and strange, and insane.”

The Straight’s paying, so where’s dinner?

“Cielo’s Tapas and Oyster Bar [15069 Marine Drive, White Rock]. I go there with my family often, and I just love it. Every dish. It’s one of those places where you look around and everyone is shaking their head, ‘Mmmm,’ all speechless because the food’s so good. Been around for years.

Vancouver needs a sex-tape scandal. Who’s your co-star?

“Liz Horner from Role Mach is pretty sexy. Actually, Synthcake as a whole thinks she’s sexy. We’re not attracted to untalented people. It’s such a deal breaker.”

Jimmy Pattison’s fronting the money. Where are we opening a venue?

“Behind the Centre for Digital Media [577 Great Northern Way]. There’s a whole bunch of old vehicles and crap, but if you go a bit farther there’s this huge space right in front of this beautiful old train that just sits there. It’d be cool if we could put in some installations and just go all out. If we had a lot of money.”
- The Georgia Straight

CBC Radio 3:
"Something about Vancouver makes it the perfect matrix to incubate party bands of the electronic variety. Straight out of East Van comes the deliciously named Synthcake with Musicophilia off the EP, Musicophilia."

"Lana Pitre is the vocal ring-master for this swirling circus of synths, accordions and glockenspiels (oh my!). It's pop from under the big top with rump-shaking beats for the main tent pole and creepy keyboards in the sideshow."

["Musicophilia" was added to rotation this week on CBC Radio 3] - CBC radio 3

Discorder:
"The sounds in the Zoo Zhop shifted from sweet melodies to psychotic circus music once Synthcake’s set began. Using synths (obviously), live drums and a trumpet, the quartet’s performance felt like a frenzied video game competition. After one particularly zippy, drum-heavy song that had the crowd losing their shit, the group started offering free download cards, which had people pushing to the front to grab theirs.
Synthcake’s dynamic sounds comes across like Amy Winehouse fronting a funhouse band, and singer Lana Pitre’s sultry, velvety voice can make you forget all about that deranged clown that’s after you. Perhaps in reference to the band’s latest album, Musicophilia, Pitre asked, “Is anyone obsessed with music so much that it’s, like, not a good thing?” The final number of the night, with its strange sound effects, vocal loops, haunting harmonies and a driving climax, had even the most jaded person in the crowd dancing. Despite Synthcake’s bizarre Big Top vibe, they seemed to be exactly what everyone in the cold, wet little room needed. And nobody went home disappointed." - Discorder

"Something about Vancouver makes it the perfect matrix to incubate party bands of the electronic variety. Straight out of East Van comes the deliciously named Synthcake with Musicophilia off the EP, Musicophilia.

Lana Pitre is the vocal ring-master for this swirling circus of synths, accordions and glockenspiels (oh my!). It's pop from under the big top with rump-shaking beats for the main tent pole and creepy keyboards in the sideshow."

["Musicophilia" was added to rotation this week on CBC Radio 3] - CBC radio 3