Homage to the Roland SH-101

The Roland SH-101 is an analogue synthesiser made by Roland between 1982 and 1986. It became widely used in the 1990s, especially in electronic and house music.

The SH-101 is monophonic, meaning it plays one note at a time. It features a single oscillator, sub‑oscillator, low‑pass filter, mixer for blending waveforms, noise generator, arpeggiator, and sequencer. An ADSR envelope controls the filter and VCA, while an LFO can modulate the filter, VCA, pitch, and pulse width.

Its sound is often described as “snappy and razor‑sharp” bass, “squelchy and expressive” leads, and a “piercing yet smooth” filter.

The SH-101 appears on many Finish The Story songs and is frequently used on This Window tracks.

At launch, it cost $495 in the US and £249 in the UK, making it relatively affordable compared to other analogue synthesisers of the time.

Their Gods – Limited Free Mix – Homage to the SH-101

Pre-release mix · 5 minutes · Instrumental version

Their Gods appears here as a limited free mix, a preview from the forthcoming autumn/winter album release—a collection shaped around memory, place, and the small moments that stay with you long after they’ve passed.

This version is instrumental; the lyrics are not present, leaving the track to stand purely on its sonic architecture. What emerges is a subtle EDM-infused piece, built from shifting electronic textures and a beat that never dominates, but weaves in and out of the mix like a pulse beneath the surface.

A slow-burn electronic atmosphere

Rather than aiming for club-driven intensity, Their Gods leans into a more introspective electronic palette. The rhythm is understated—hard kicks and SH101 low-frequency pulses that rise and fall almost imperceptibly. These elements give the track a sense of movement without ever forcing it, creating a kind of ambient–EDM hybrid that feels both spacious and quietly propulsive.

The five-minute structure allows these details to unfold gradually. Synth pads drift like half-remembered photographs, while small rhythmic accents flicker at the edges of the stereo field. It’s a track that rewards close listening: the beat appears, dissolves, returns, and reshapes the emotional tone each time.

Memory, tension, and the electronic frame

The forthcoming album is described as a return to places, lights, and moments that linger long after they’ve passed. This mix reflects that theme through its production choices. The electronic elements feel like echoes of something once present, fragments that never fully resolve but continue to resonate.

In the full lyrical version, Their Gods explores power, faith, wealth, and the tension between what people build for themselves and what they turn away from. Here, with the vocals removed, those ideas become textural rather than narrative—suggested through contrast, dynamics, and the way the beat slips between confidence and hesitation.

A restrained EDM pulse

This is not a track that announces itself. It breathes, circulates, and glows at the edges. The EDM influence is present but never overstated:

• rhythmic motifs that fade in like distant machinery
• bass tones that feel more like weight than melody
• percussive details that appear only when needed
• a structure that moves without rushing

It’s electronic music designed for reflection rather than spectacle.

A glimpse of what’s coming

As a pre-release mix, this instrumental version offers a different perspective on Their Gods—a chance to hear the underlying electronic framework before the full album arrives later in the year. It stands on its own as a quietly compelling EDM-inflected piece, shaped by subtle beats, drifting textures, and the emotional residue of themes that, for now, remain unspoken.