Synth Union Pt.1 - Rare USSR And Early Ex-USSR Synth & Electro Sound

Synth Union Pt.1 was released in 2014 by the Ukrainian label Aby Sho Mzk, serving as a foundational archival project. The compilation was curated to document the overlooked landscape of electronic music produced in the Soviet Union and the immediate post-Soviet era, spanning from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. It captures a unique moment of technological transition where musicians in the Eastern Bloc utilized limited, often DIY-modified gear to synthesize sounds that mirrored Western electro, industrial, and synth-pop trends.

The design and curation were led by the label’s team with the intention of preserving tracks that had previously existed only on obscure cassette tapes or radio broadcasts. By gathering these disparate, underground works, the release provided a vital historical context for the regional development of synth music. It received critical acclaim within crate-digging and electronic music circles for its anthropological approach, offering listeners a window into the innovative sonic output of an isolated but creatively vibrant scene.