The intersection of electronic music, virtual reality engineering, and speculative fiction came to Edinburgh’s Pleasance venue this weekend as Cymera 2026 welcomed Synthonie for a live performance. Billed as a fusion of cinematic sci-fi soundscapes and gaming music, the project is the brain-child of multi-talented IT engineer, developer, and composer Christian Freund (known simply as Chris).
The performance at Cymera marked a significant milestone for the project, following Chris’s relocation from Bonn, Germany, to Birmingham after being endorsed by Arts Council England under the Global Talent scheme. The Edinburgh audience was treated to a genuine premiere: the first-ever live performance of “Cyberpunk Two,” a track composed entirely since Chris took up residency in the United Kingdom, serving as a direct sequel to his established piece, “Cyberpunk One.”
Musically, Synthonie positions itself somewhere between the sweeping synth-heavy arrangements of Blade Runner 2049 and the atmospheric tension of modern roleplaying games and tactical video game scores, such as Warhammer 40,000 or Death Stranding. Behind Chris, a large projection screen cycled through evocative, stylised clips from iconic geek culture properties including Cyberpunk 2077, The Expanse, and Ghost in the Shell, anchoring each track to its explicit thematic material.
Chris is undoubtedly a highly capable performer and an intriguing technical innovator. Front and centre in his setup is the “Musitar”, a custom-built, multifunctional MIDI instrument of his own invention that blends the form factor and tactile utility of a guitar with the triggering capabilities of a keyboard. The performance also featured his recurring digital stage partner, Syndarella. While introduced to the audience as an artificial intelligence, Syndarella is a legacy feature of the project, first debuting in 2019, predating the current mainstream generative AI and large language model trends. In practice, she functions less like an autonomous machine and more like an animated, on-screen virtual YouTuber (V-Tuber) avatar, adding faux-conversation to the set, though the concept occasionally feels a little dated given today’s rapid technological shifts. Dare I suggest it? Rebranding Syndarella away from AI might be a savvy move.
The music itself is pleasant, well-constructed, and highly reminiscent of transactional video game scores – evoking the exact sort of mid-tempo tension you might expect when a digital antagonist is levelling up, or a player is exploring an expansive cybernetic cityscape. However, for those leaning toward the heavier “electro-rock” side of synthwave, the performance rarely builds to the explosive, high-crescendo peaks that define the genre’s more intense live acts. The tracks felt mathematically precise and safe, keeping the energy firmly in third gear rather than shifting up into a more aggressive, floor-shaking overdrive.
This safe execution highlighted a slight disconnect with the venue. The clean, polite surroundings of The Pleasance bar sat awkwardly between two ideal environments. The music would serve beautifully as a sophisticated, atmospheric background track to a quiet night of drinks and conversation with friends. Alternatively, it could come fully alive if placed inside a dedicated, smoke-filled arena, backed by strobe lights and dramatic stage production, to lean into the eerie, gothic undertones of the source material. Placed in a standard festival bar setting, it fell somewhat between the two stools.
Ultimately, Synthonie delivers a technically accomplished and melodic tribute to the modern sci-fi canon. While it may lack the raw, kinetic punch required to captivate general rock or electronic live music fans, it remains a thoroughly pleasing experience. For dedicated enthusiasts of synthwave, cyberpunk aesthetics, and custom music tech, Chris’s unique blend of software engineering and live performance is well worth an hour of your time.
