Here are some reviews of our music.
It was somewhere in 1992 when André Theelen and Harold Teunissen, aka Syndrone, payed me a visit. In those days, I was writing reviews and other articles for KLEM, the Dutch electronic music magazine. They wanted my opinion about their debut album "Outer Reaches". The cassette contained 59 minutes of well composed music which implemented elements from Brian Eno, Steve Roach and Michael Stearns, but with some very interesting angles and surprises. I decided to take the tape to Ron Boots, who was running Cue Records NL at that time next to becoming a successful electronic musician himself. Like me, he was struck by the duo’s musical approach and abilities. In July 1993 he invited the duo to his Dreamscape studio in Eindhoven where they recorded, in three days, all music for their forthcoming cd "Being There". The cd appeared in October 1993, containing two reworked tracks from their mc beside five new pieces. In addition to some rhythmic tracks, the band also composed ambient music with nice environmental sounds such as the Parisian subway. The album concludes with the live-in-the-studio recorded 20-minute title track, featuring Ron Boots and Harold van der Heijden on drums. Due to the impact of their stunning debut, the duo was chosen number 9 on the Top 20 Best Newcomers in 1993 by the German Em-radio show "Schwingungen". Bert Strolenberg - Sonic Immersion
"The follow up to their hugely successful 'Baywatch'... OK, I jest. Syndrone are Andre Theelen and Harold Teunissen, a duo which has spawned 3 albums since 1992. The opener 'Beneath the Surface' casts off with delicate melodics before sequences populate the soundstage. It's a decent outing but perhaps could have done with a bit more oomph. With a title like 'Skin Job' the next piece could only be a Bladerunner tribute, and an excellent one it is too. Opening with ambient atmospherics and "offworld" samples it gathers pace when percussion is introduced. String synth pads flesh out the sound as pin sharp hi-hats and regimental timpani invade the scene, accompanied by sequence lines. More samples and atmospherics close the track. 'Last Dream Before' is an atmospheric drifter in Roach/ Burmer territory, while the quirkily titled 'We Saw Elvis at the Bus-Stop' is an uptempo piece with good sequencing and effective, though rather cliched, melodics. 'Shift Nine I' is by far the most esoteric piece so far, with random effects and atmospherics forming the bulk of the sound. 'John Doe' is a superb outing featuring uptempo sequences and some fine lead synth work. The themes are strong and supplemented by a repetitive, simple motif which acts as an effective contrast to the searing synth leads. The strong form continues with 'Beauty of Decay' which contains tight sequencing and powerful synth sounds which form a potent cocktail when scorching guitar lines are introduced. At just over the 14 minute mark, 'Musscheln und Andere Tiere' is the longest track and appropriately it is a drifting, spacey piece of some merit. Cold, desolate synthscapes are the order of the day, and throughout there is the faint sound of morse code. 'Shift Nine II' closes the album, continuing the esoteric form shown on version I. This is a fine release which carries on the trend for mixing completely different styles on a single album. Whether Space Music or Melodic EM is your preference, this album tackles both with significant success. Add the impressive Bladerunner tribute to the equation, and it's hard to see anyone being disappointed after hearing this. (GG)" smd
This is the second release by this very talented Dutch duo. The groups first album, "Being There" (no relation to Peter Sellers 'Chauncy Gardner' character) was a big hit in Europe. Their new release "Blind Date" is similar in style but covers a bit more musical territory. Too few people in this genre have explored beyond the cosmic music of mid-70's Klaus Schulze and Tangerine Dream. There's been Lightwave, Michael Stearns, and a few others, but there's not much of that sort of music around at the moment, especially so, such music that is highly creative and with its own identity. On their earlier CD release Syndrone expressed great spacious expanses, and cosmic esoteric music seemed to be their forte. Yet, a touch more down to earth, with this strangely titled disc, Syndrone has tried to create a music of great depth, with the accent on melody and infectious poly-rhythms. Often, having such an attitude to musical creation takes the music to very strange realms, towards early Cluster or even the atmospheric realms of Froese's early solo albums. The palette of sounds is extremely rich and varied. Syndrone is certainly one of the most creative and original synth duos around at the moment, and as their second musical statement, it's very impressive! Alternate Music Press
After a three year break, the album "Blind Date" was released in fall of 1996. The nine tracks on it were recorded during several jam sessions between 1994 and 1996, some of them one-time-only live recordings capturing the spirit of the moment. It is again Ron Boots who was in charge of the excellent mastering of the duo’s inventive music. "Blind Date" adds another chapter to the duo's highly creative world, as it offers a nice blend of overall morphing, resonating soundscapes explored in the longer tracks next to a few shorter, rhythmic excursions. The soundscape tracks are slowly developing and building, delving deep into mysterious caverns as heard on "Shift Nine part I and II", which sometimes rides the experimental edge. "Musscheln und andere Tiere" is the longest track on the album, a textural journey which seems to pay tribute to the ambient works of Steve Roach. The other side of the duo’s music is heard on the rhythmic, electronic free-style tracks "Skin Job" or the humorous "We saw Elvis at the Busstop". Like its predecessor, "Blind Date" is a well-crafted work. It breaths the joy of making electronic music through all its veins, but is a bit more adventurous compared to their previous cd. Harold & André, thank you for bringing me your inspired music which I still enjoy a lot today! Bert Strolenberg - Sonic Immersion