Syncsmith captures the ethereal quality of experimental electronic music in its new book

Syncsmith, a sync agency specialising in avant-garde electronic music for TV, film and video games, has released The Blueprint, a “futuristic take on the agency playbook”. Composed of more than six years' worth of case studies, taken from its diverse and expansive portfolio, the publication offers Syncsmith’s closest collaborators a captivating insight into the company’s inner-mechanics and chronology to date.

Designed by Dave Gaskarth of London-based studio CYRK, The Blueprint, despite its futuristic aesthetic, takes inspiration from the work of 4th Century Roman scholar St. Jerome, whose quote “An Asterisk Makes A Light Shine Whereas The Obelisk Cuts & Pierces” has become the tagline for Syncsmith.

As such, the design is anchored by a CGI obelisk, rendered using Gaskarth’s signature 3D illustration style. In keeping with much of his other work, the obelisk features a wide array of digital textures and materials, making for an eye-catching artwork but also reflecting the diversity of Syncsmith’s offerings, which span a global roster of artists and genres as disparate as neo-classical, techno, ambient and grime.

Beyond its use as a visual centrepoint within the book, the form of the obelisk is also an integral part of Syncsmith’s typography and communications. Rebranded in 2021 by Paris-based type designer Morgane VanTorre, Arthemys Light was chosen to be the brand’s core typeface. Characterised by ornate ligatures and stylistic alternates, Arthemys finds its roots in 18th Century French aesthetics and was adapted by Morgane to include the symbol of the obelisk as a replacement for the ‘y’ letterform in Syncsmith’s name.

“I noticed that Syncsmith has a strong duality in its personality,” noted Morgane at the time. “[It is] both atypical and experimental, with a strong look to the future, but also [has] a traditionalist aspect where elegance and rigour/precision are the keywords.”

Both majestic and ethereal, the typography corresponds with and informs other design elements within The Blueprint — notably, the colour palette. Occasionally featuring pops of vivid colour that serve to highlight certain pieces of text, the core palette is instead grounded by a striking cobalt hue. This elegant and experimental shade speaks to Syncsmith’s avant-garde sounds, as well as its innovative, thoughtful and handmade approach. It also complements the book’s evocative imagery, which was provided by Berlin-based Studio Amos Fricke and photographer Raul Suciu.

All of these design decisions come to life on beautiful stock supplied by renowned paper specialists G.F Smith, who closely consulted with Syncsmith on the creation of The Blueprint, and who “championed the project from inception.” The 160 pages of the book were then foil-blocked, debossed and section-sewn by Brighton-based Book Printer of the Year 2022, Generation Press, who executed Syncsmith’s experimental vision with accuracy and the utmost attention to detail.

The Blueprint, which has been printed in a limited run of 100 copies, will be launching soon, and features a guest foreword by experimental music aficionado and Pitchfork staff writer Philip Sherburne. Writing in this introduction, Philip says: “The signature of Syncsmith’s approach is its very authenticity: the trace of the musician’s fingerprints, the scrape of their tools, the evidence of their labour. Syncsmith’s music doesn’t come from sterile music library; it is real, a genuine vessel for the creative spirit, bearing the inimitable signs of genuine artistry.”