Chris Nielsen and the SLC Synth Alliance

Think of the last piece of music you listened to. Unless your brain went to Beethoven or Willie Nelson, that song likely involved a synthesizer. Since their appearance in the mid-20th century, synths have become critical to nearly every genre of music; however, despite their ubiquity, there is little societal recognition of the humble instrument.

The SLC Synth Alliance seeks to change that. A collective of electronic artists out of the greater Salt Lake area, the Alliance is dedicated to creating, uplifting and performing music created by digital means. Like any great movement, though, it did not appear overnight.

The Synth Alliance has its beginnings in Chris Nielsen, a self-proclaimed sonic researcher. “As a child of the ‘80s, a lot of new music was being made with synthesizers. I just was always interested in those electronic sounds I’d hear on the radio and I thought that there was a finite number. I wanted to hear all of the electronic sounds,” recalls Nielsen. “I know it sounds corny, but it called to me.” 

“I wanted to hear all of the electronic sounds.”

In 2002, Nielsen finally got a synthesizer of his own at a Cash America Pawn in Midvale. Using the instruction manual and forum postings, he filled out the machine’s 128 presets with sounds of his own making. A lifelong love of bands like Kraftwerk and Meat Beat Manifesto drove him to continue experimenting with newer and more complex machines to create a dance-focused 80s sound.

In 2014, the electronic music landscape of Salt Lake City changed with the creation of Phil Zinn’s Squarewave Sound, a brick-and-mortar store dedicated to Moogs, Korgs, Rolands and all things MIDI. The space became a haven for Nielsen, and what had once been an art form that he only shared with some friends became much more communal. In 2016, Nielsen took over the business and its associated workshops, meet-ups and classes. In his new position as owner of Squarewave, Nielsen continued to highlight these community-building events and the Synth Alliance began to form. “I just wanted to foster that, because I love electronic music in all of its forms,” he says.

As Nielsen continued Squarewave, he interacted with more and more of Salt Lake’s electronic music community. An SLC Synth Alliance Facebook group sprung up in 2015 and an Instagram page soon followed. Along with fellow synth artists like Aaron Valentine, Anode, fezmaster, Paris Taylor and Dante Lerae, Nielsen began hosting electronic open mics and promoting the musical efforts of those in the collective. Now—nearly ten years later—the Alliance is still going strong. “Synthesizers will always be relevant, as long as there’s electricity,” he says.

The Alliance today comprises dozens of musicians, each of whom have their own unique sound.

“Synthesizers will always be relevant, as long as there’s electricity.”

 “We have people who are noise artists. We have people who are ambient artists. We have people who are dance artists, and then we have people that kind of do everything,” says Nielsen. The nature of synth music often means artists work alone or in pairs, a departure from the large bands seen in other genres of music. As such, the organizational structure of the Alliance remains loose: “Everybody kind of does their own thing, but we all help each other out,” he says. 

The biggest shift for the Alliance has been a switch to Discord. “Everybody is excited to get to know each other. Other people have stepped up to the plate to organize events and put on shows,” says Nielsen. Over the course of the decade, the Alliance has grown—incorporating new acts, finding new venues and encompassing new genres. The core of the Alliance, however, has not changed: a group of people who love making and sharing electronic music.

There is always space in the Alliance for newcomers. “If you’re interested in this sort of thing, definitely reach out to us,” says Nielsen. “We’re just gonna keep doing events, and we’re gonna keep pushing. People that are interested in getting into producing electronic music are definitely welcome to join us.” For shows, meet-ups and songs, follow @slcsynthalliance on Instagram and catch new releases from Alliance artists on Bandcamp.

Graphic Designer: Vella Price

Walk us through how you created this layout. What inspired you when designing it?

For some reason, I had the Lofi Girl stuck in my head when I was reading the article and decided that I wanted to do something around that theme. Then when I saw the photo provided, I knew it had to be, haha.

Tell us about your design background. How has your style evolved over time?

I have always been involved in art and art-related things and wanted my career to also follow that path. I think over the years I have gotten more comfortable incorporating my own style and influences into the work I do.

What are some of your design inspirations or influences? 

Kind of a mishmash of Studio Ghibli films and ‘90s anime, Australian street artists and atomic-age advertising, to name a few.

What does your graphic design process usually look like? 

Chaotic.

What is your favorite aspect of graphic design?

The versatility of it all.

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