Chloe MooreChloe Moore spoke with the team behind Synked Studios, a community hub for Ireland’s next generation of electronic music, showcasing their skill set in a stripped-back livestream environment.
In a scene often driven by algorithms, aesthetics and fleeting trends, Synked Studios has carved out a space that feels refreshingly rooted in community. Since launching less than a year ago, the platform has become a home for emerging Irish DJs and producers, offering a stripped-back setting where the focus remains firmly on the artist, the music and the stories behind them.
Founded with the intention of spotlighting homegrown talent and strengthening connections within Ireland’s constantly changing electronic music scene, Synked has quickly grown beyond a simple DJ platform into a meeting point for like-minded artists, collectives and listeners.
We caught up with the team behind Synked Studios to discuss why they started, the importance of highlighting independent artists, keeping things authentic in an increasingly polished online world, and their ambitions for taking Irish electronic music to an international audience.
Synked Studios feels like more than just a DJ platform, it feels like a genuine community for Irish electronic music. What was the original vision behind starting it?
We started Synked to shine a light on Irish electronic music and the people behind it. The goal was to always create opportunities for artists to be seen, help strengthen the scene and connect with others. Over time, it’s naturally grown into a community, which is something we’re really proud of.
Ireland’s dance music scene has grown massively over the last few years. Why do you think now feels like such an exciting moment for Irish DJs and producers?
The dance music scene here in Ireland has been gradually growing over the last few years. There are many opportunities for slots for emerging artists in a lot of Irish homegrown festivals and club shows. This has created more opportunities and exposure, and because of that, DJ’s & producers are pushing themselves creatively more than ever. They’re constantly developing their sound and improving their skills as they can visibly see the reward.
A big part of Synked Studios is giving emerging artists a proper platform to showcase themselves. Why was supporting grassroots talent so important to you from the beginning?
This is very important to us as our platform is about giving a chance to DJ’s who have put the work into their music and craft. In Ireland, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of DJ’s deserving of featuring on a platform to showcase their energy, sound & talent to a wider audience and at Synked we do just that.
A lot of online DJ content can feel very polished and disconnected. Was it important for Synked to keep that raw, authentic Irish underground energy?
It’s important to keep it raw because we feel like music has gone into so many different directions; sometimes it can be overwhelming for what can be presented in front of us every day, where it feels like music can be somewhat of a style of fast fashion. At Synked, we manage to strip it back: camera, artist, music. Bring it back to basics. This keeps Synked closely tied to the culture and the artists within it, which is pivotal for us.
Through Synked Studios, you’re helping create opportunities for artists to be seen without needing to leave Ireland first. Do you think Irish talent is finally getting the recognition it deserves?
As the scene here is still growing, getting recognition as a DJ in Ireland can be a tough road for any artist to face. Festivals and clubs here in Ireland have a big percentage of local emerging talent on their lineups, which gives massive support to them. But from running Synked, we have discovered many talented artists that have not yet been recognised. There is still work to do, but the momentum is definitely there. We hope more people will start to pay attention to what’s coming out of Ireland in the coming years.
The Irish electronic scene has always had strong communities behind it. How important is collaboration and supporting each other in a space like this?
Since launching Synked just under a year ago, we have collaborated with many labels/collectives from our launch party through to our set releases. This is important to us as we know that by supporting one another, we grow the scene and the culture of the music together. There can definitely be competition in the scene here in Ireland, but we at Synked don’t buy into that as we always want to help others thrive at what they do. By collaborating with different labels/collectives, it helps us all to discover new ideas and sounds that can help the Irish electronic scene grow stronger.
What’s been the most rewarding moment so far since launching Synked Studios?
The most rewarding thing to come out of Synked for us so far is definitely meeting new artists every week, hearing their stories and backgrounds, which has brought them into the electronic music scene here in Ireland. We have met so many amazing people along the way and have created many friendships this past year. We have built a little community among us with like-minded people, and this has been so rewarding in itself.
You’ve showcased a really wide range of DJs and sounds already. When you’re choosing artists to feature, what stands out to you most? Technical skill, individuality, energy, or something else?
The most important thing we look for when choosing artists to play on our platform is artists that put in the work day in and day out and have a passion for the music. We want artists on our platform that bring an authentic sound and energy to their sets. Synked has no fixed genre, and we allow artists to express creativity through their music.
Platforms like Synked give younger DJs visibility at a really important stage in their careers. What advice would you give to someone trying to break into Ireland’s dance music scene right now?
Some advice we would give to the younger generations of DJ’s here in Ireland would be to attend events, get involved, talk about their music to others and put in the work. You can’t expect to make it big if you don’t put in the graft; if you want it, then go for it. There are many platforms within the community to help you break into Ireland’s dance music scene, so be sure to reach out to them and help one another along the way.
Looking ahead, what’s the dream for Synked Studios? Where would you love to see the platform and the Irish scene in the next few years?
The dream for Synked would be to have a wide selection of sets recorded from DJ’s not only in Ireland but from other parts of the world. This would help our community grow faster and on an international level, bringing people together from all over the world. Networking allows us to create a larger community, which we hope to grow. At the end of the day, it’s how the 3 of us met, and our idea of Synked Studios came to fruition.
