Originally published by The Vinyl Factory.

“It is a living instrument producing a living sound.”

Soulwax, aka David & Stephen Dewaele, explore their love of the EMS Synthi 100 in a new album and book that pay tribute to the bulky hybrid synth. Both will be released The Vinyl Factory and DEEWEE this May, and the brothers have released a short trailer showcasing the machine in all its glory.

The record’s liner notes describes their quest to find the rare synth: “Fascinated by collecting instruments and recording gear, their passion hasn’t been born by completism: every new item inspires a world of possibilities. The one item that always eluded them was the EMS Synthi 100 — a huge and rare analogue synthesizer, of which there were only 31 ever produced, that can create a near infinite array of sounds.”

“Shortly after opening the DEEWEE HQ in Ghent, Belgium, David & Stephen, discovered that IPEM (the research institute for systematic musicology based in the city’s university) not only had a Synthi 100, but were looking for a temporary home for it while they moved buildings. And so, after a lot of begging a deal was struck with IPEM.”

“The Synthi 100 would spend almost a year at DEEWEE, during which time EMS repair guru Constantin Papageorgiadis would sporadically continue the restoration started at IPEM, while the brothers would make an album of music entirely produced on it.”

Appropriately titled EMS Synthi 100, the package includes an album with a long piece of music on each side. Though divided into six movements, Soulwax created the compositions to be listened to as a whole.

A 48-page book exploring the background behind the album and the history of the EMS Synthi 100 accompanies the release.

Featuring art direction by Ill-Studio and photography by Younes Klouche, the vinyl is held in a perforated ‘patch bay’ cover with a fully artworked inner sleeve, while both the disc and book are housed in a clear PVC bag.

EMS Synthi arrives on May 25 and is available to pre-order now.

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