There’s something deeply compelling about sound that feels imperfect, as though it carries the weight of time within its cracks and distortions. Battersea Audio’s Polygrade Tape Synth thrives on this philosophy, offering a palette of tape-processed textures that evoke a sense of memory and decay. As someone who often gravitates toward music steeped in atmosphere and emotional resonance, Polygrade feels like an invitation to explore the spaces between clarity and chaos.
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Sounds From Another Time
Hauntology—a term coined by philosopher Jacques Derrida—describes the lingering presence of unrealized futures and forgotten pasts. In music, it’s a concept championed by theorists like Mark Fisher and Simon Reynolds, who associate it with sounds that evoke dislocation, nostalgia, and temporal distortion. Polygrade fits seamlessly into this tradition. Its presets, crafted from analog synthesizers degraded through tape machines, embody the imperfections that hauntological artists often embrace.
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Mark Fisher spoke of hauntological music as a “failure of the future,” where the crackle of vinyl or the hum of tape hiss becomes a metaphor for cultural memory (on the subject, see also our Chase Bliss Generation Loss Mk2 review).
Polygrade captures this aesthetic beautifully. The tape wow/flutter controls allow you to introduce subtle pitch instability, while the noise module adds environmental layers like hiss or static—textures that feel alive yet fractured. Using Polygrade feels like tuning into a forgotten broadcast or uncovering a dusty reel-to-reel recording from an alternate timeline.
The synth’s tape-processed presets, noise layers, and wow/flutter controls are perfect for creating tones that feel like they’ve been unearthed from another time. This aligns it with artists and labels that have embraced hauntological aesthetics:
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- Ghost Box Records: Known for its roster of artists like Belbury Poly, The Advisory Circle, and The Focus Group, Ghost Box creates music that feels like a mix of public information films, library music, and occult folklore.
- The Caretaker: Famous for his work exploring memory loss through decayed ballroom recordings, particularly in the series Everywhere at the End of Time.
- Broadcast: Their works and their collaboration with The Focus Group on Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age are a masterclass in blending analog electronics with eerie psychedelia.
Exploring Polygrade’s Sonic Palette
What I appreciate most about Polygrade is how its sounds seem to resist perfection in favor of character. The presets range from bold leads to ethereal pads, each imbued with the warmth and unpredictability of analog tape processing. You can add Foley-like noise layers to patches, creating depth and narrative without overwhelming the core tone. The synth also offers flexible controls for filters, envelopes, and FX parameters, giving you just enough room to shape its raw textures without losing their inherent charm.
Some patches lean toward experimental territory, with warbling tones or degraded signals that feel almost alive. Others are more linear or subdued but still carry an emotional weight that’s hard to replicate with cleaner digital tools.
Hear a selection of 20 presets in this preview video, with over 100 presets included in the full library:
Who Will Love This Synth?
Polygrade isn’t for everyone—and that’s part of its appeal. It’s perfect for musicians who value texture over polish:
- Ambient producers looking to craft immersive soundscapes full of depth and nostalgia.
- Film composers seeking tones that evoke unease or melancholic beauty.
- Experimental artists who thrive on pushing boundaries and embracing unpredictability in their work.
Its interface is straightforward enough for beginners yet nuanced enough to reward deeper exploration. The presets serve as starting points rather than finished products, encouraging users to manipulate them into something uniquely their own.
FYI: MIDI learn is your friend!
Pricing and Availability
Polygrade is priced at $/€59. It works across all major DAWs. To learn more about Polygrade, please visit the official web page.
Final Thoughts
Polygrade is a great match for those who find beauty in imperfectio. Those who see the hiss of tape or the wobble of pitch as opportunities rather than flaws. For me, using it has been less about creating moods that linger long after the sound fades away. I enjoyed its capability of conjuring ghosts from forgotten futures and fractured memories with every note you play.
If your music thrives on atmosphere, nostalgia, or experimentation, Polygrade is worth exploring. It doesn’t try to compete with clean sounding or more versatile synths. It offers something far more compelling: sounds that feel alive, ready to haunt your tracks!
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