Overlord of the West Coast synth, Terrace Martin is as prolific as modern instrumental and productive composers get. But everything he puts out is brimming with the kind of experimentalism and choice funk that keeps it intriguing and necessary regardless of quantity. His newest is SINTHESIZE, a 9-track, 15-minute EP of short directions begging for more length and aid from the world’s best featuring vocalists.

 

There is no end to his instrumental prowess, so attempting to delineate the project’s overarching identity is largely impossible. But it’s worth the time of anyone looking for something easy-listening, lowkey danceable, high-key funky, and downright smooth. Folding in recent single, LIES, the project is also a deep look into the angsty penned direction Martin was attempting with the project’s scale. And true to its title, it’s above all else a firm exploration of the synthesizer – the thing that has long made him one of the most influential proponents of hip-hop and funk rooted West Coast production.