Some
might call the synthwave scene crowded. In a genre that’s motivated
by image, vibe, and nostalgia there’s a lot of room for
interpretation and overlap.

Standing out can be difficult.

As
the scene grows and evolves, a handful of A-listers have started to
make headlines and enter the mainstream eye. This year has been all
about Power Glove. Having just been nominated for best soundtrack of
the year by Destructoid, it’s easy to say this year’s mold-breaking
Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon catapulted Power Glove into the top ranks of
the genre. The game provided a perfect match aesthetically for one of
the first times, particularly with such a mainstream commercial
release (one of the tracks was eventually used in this Miami Vice
sketch on Key & Peele)

However
PG has
been and remains one of the most dominant names in
synthwave.

Personally, one of the first artists I came across
after Mitch Murder and Kavinsky. Their sound explodes with energy and
polish. After hearing Streets of 2043, Crypt, and Night Force I
became a retrowave addict—Power Glove in part being a full blown
gateway drug to a bottomless well of music.

It’s
hard to remember how much narrower this scene was a few years back
with such a rich diversity of artists today such as Lueur Verte,
Vanguard, Mega Drive, Trevor Something, and the similar-named but
starkly different Power Cut. But Power Glove has been there for a
long time, putting out small but dynamite-like tracks, remixes, and
one very
solid EP.

EP2 has been “coming soon” on Power Glove’s
website since I first became a fan.

When it does drop, give it a
listen. I doubt anyone will be disappointed, but there’s a lot of
sophomoric expectation at this point. Expect some growth in sound.
Changing tone and mood perhaps, but if executed well the kind of
stuff that pushes and defines new boundaries within the genre.
Pioneering.

The Australian brothers bios all simply say “Armed
with only two POWERGLOVES, we are two lawyers sent back from the
streets of future, post apocalyptic Los Angeles 2043. With a touch of
romance and a ton of trouble, we’re gonna get there…any way we
can.”

With
such an easily recognizable NES accessory name, it’s easy to peg PG
into a solely video game-influenced artist. True to some degree.
Their above bio literally sounds like an NES game synopsis. But Blood
Dragon’s Terminator 2/Scarface/Carpenter-film influenced sounds (and
the recent Motorcycle Cop) prove PG to be as versatile and dynamic as
they are dedicated to legitimate structure. EP1 channeled early 90’s,
16-bit arcade punch. Their work on Blood Dragon changes gears and
remains just as focused and on-point.

Unmatched builds,
precise mixes, and signature nostalgic samples. All blended with a
master level of musical craft. Power
Glove have listened to a wide array of electronic music, outside 80’s
and 90’s revival, and it shows.

Kind
of a ridiculous gauge, but on SoundCloud PG now has more followers
than Mitch Murder.

It’s
telling though… what was once a niche and almost unnameable genre
is now a flourishing, diverse arena of artists. Healthy growth
provided by artists like PG, who may not be the most prolific, but
whose dedication to craft allow the synthwave scene to become
something bigger.

Article written by

Andy Chandler

http://about.me/azc