Smokey64 ‘1994’ is out now via Bandcamp.

Favorite tracks : Glow, The Path, Abracadabra

Arcade High’s ‘Kingdom II’ is out now via Spotify and Bandcamp.

The Concept

“We Are Stardust” deals with strong themes of death and rebirth – perfect topics for a genre so drenched in nostalgia. But LukHash goes a little deeper than most, actually leaning on science to construct the album’s narrative. The title itself is likely a reference to the fact that every element that makes up our bodies was once created inside the foundry of a dying star, billions of years ago. Carl Sagan famously said, “We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself,” and… it’s true. We are literally Stardust.

Similarly, the opening track “Cyberiad Theory” is a reference to “The Cyberiad,” a series of short stories written by the brilliant Polish science fiction author Stanislaw Lem. The themes of the Cyberiad deal with the “vain search for human happiness through technological means,” creating perhaps the most perfect literary reference we’ve ever heard in a cyberpunk album!

LukHash himself explained to The Electroscope:

“[LukHash] told me he has spent much time as of late thinking about what happens after we die. He created a story guided by the idea that we are all born from stardust.

The plot thickens, though. After we die, we are reborn into another dimension, a parallel universe so to speak, where we reunite with those we lost and love to relive our experiences or create new ones together again. In LukHash‘s words, songs orbit around themes of ‘loss here’ and ‘reunion elsewhere.'”

Rad.

The Style

LukHash himself is a Polish-born UK-based producer and classically trained guitarist who grew up playing retro video games and listening to his parent’s 80’s pop collection. Now, he focuses on creating an intricate fusion of complex chiptune and retro synthwave. Some chiptune can be a harsh listen, but not so with LukHash’s tracks. The chiptune elements work seamlessly together with various synthesizers, which melt together like butter instantly forming lush cinematic soundscapes.

In fact, the combination of these two genres feels very organic, maximizing the 80’s retro aesthetics of both while creating a totally radical and fresh take on the synthwave genre. To top it off, LukHash combines his advanced production capabilities and unique sound with a refined cyberpunk aesthetic that’s often pensive and dystopian, which makes every track a truly memorable listening experience.

But LukHash doesn’t simply boot up a DAW and start making 8-bit sounds. He’s well known for experimenting with hacked Gameboy and Commodore 64 systems, resurrecting them for one purpose – to make some truly bitchin’ tunes.

The Album

Aside from the backing narrative and technical finery, there’s really something to be said about how LukHash actually crafts the melodies and mixes the tracks on “We Are Stardust.” Each track’s melodies feel familiar yet futuristic, merging 80s pop tonalities with almost baroque synth leads. There’s also a deep sense of wistful nostalgia throughout the album that blends together perfectly with the other elements. The result is astounding, really amplifying the crisp cyberpunk tropes he’s built the album around.

In addition to using chiptune for simple pieces of melody, LukHash also uses them to build a dramatic atmosphere. This experimental use of chiptune combined with expert use of his synthesizers results in an intensely beautiful and cinematic album.

The final element of greatness here is the darksynth. Coupled with the lachrymose sounds above, a hint of doom and dystopia pervades “We Are Stardust,” bringing the album full circle and underpinning the themes of death and rebirth.

Overall, this album is an absolute must-listen. At the time of this writing, there are still some physical copies available via CD, with the rest having sold out quickly – and it’s easy to understand why. Grab your copy here before they’re gone!

From the Chiptune introduction on ‘Arcade Daze’ all the way down to the epic credit roll theme that is ‘Take my Hand’, the record delivers some powerful, catchy tracks whilst an immersive ambience for the album’s narrative to unfold.

With its electric neon grids and Cyberpunk soundscapes, Fall Into You makes its case as a truly heartfelt homage to the sense of wonder that permeated arcade culture.

Recommended Tracks: Fall Into You, Arrival, Take My Hand

Fall Into You is available for streaming on Bandcamp via Lazerdiscs Records and on Spotify.

Marking LukHash’s second NRW release, “We Are Stardust” is shaping up to be an absolute banger. This comes as no surprise after his last amazing release “Transient Offworld” last year. The latest single, “Dying Breath” is a delicious synthwave track that features elements of cyberpunk and darksynth alongside some truly awesome vocals from Meredith Bull. 

LukHash is known for using hacked retro hardware like commodore 64s and gameboys to create his awesome blend of chiptune synthwave, and In a recent interview with Brutal Resonance, LukHash also related probably one of the coolest things I’ve heard this year: a fully playable, album themed, Commodore 64 game will be encoded in the actual audio files in audio data format. How rad is that!? This isn’t your grandad’s chiptune.

“[The] game was written by a talented team of retro game developers at Megastyle. It features three original songs from the album transcribed into retro video game versions. So, if you still own this ‘80s piece of gaming history you’ll have an opportunity to transfer the data from the album to your C64 and experience “We Are Stardust” in 8 bits!”

LukHash also expanded a bit more about the upcoming album in the interview as well, explaining “It is a story of alternate reality and parallel worlds. It is yet again a mix of synthwave and chiptune with a strong cyberpunk vibe but this time with some more spacey synths. It still has a rather aggressive dark tone but I really hope to invoke some reflection. I want the listener to join me on a nostalgic ride while reminding that at the end of it all we’re all just a tiny piece of dust in the universe.”

He also and revealed how he came to start using old tech as instruments in the interview as well. Apparently he never expected to get such a huge response.

“8-bit video game soundtracks have been a big part of my childhood and I thought it would be interesting to bring all of the influences into one place. I went on ebay and picked up an old C64g. It used to sell for some silly low amount at that time. Not long after I’ve ordered a couple of original Gameboys. I modified them slightly and since I really enjoyed jamming out with all consoles, I decided to share some of it on an early days YouTube. To my surprise the response was great.”

We’re incredibly stoked to hear more of the upcoming album – you can read the entire Brutal Resonance interview here, and check out the video below for a great example of how LukHash uses old modded tech to make his one-of-a-kind sound.

We’re really digging this new chiptune take on the classic theme from the original movie.  The original score was always fantastic, and we can’t wait to hear more of the synth score they’ve created for the new video game – which sounds like it’ll be filled with more than just chiptune.

The upcoming Turbo Kid video game itself is set to be a Metroidvania style bit adventure game, that seems to be filled with some hilarious gore and, of course, what is sounding like a fantastic soundtrack.

The kitschy ultra-violent Turbo Kid has always held a special place in my heart, as it was one of the first topics I covered after I started writing about synth music way back in 2015. I was lucky enough to actually have a theater showing the film near me too. The crowd was awesome – you haven’t lived until you’ve heard a theater audience laughing hysterically as heads explode to a synth soundtrack!

Way back in 2015, we saw the beginning of a new indie film genre – the synthwave inspired retro spoof. Kung Fury is perhaps the most well known, but only a few short months after its release Turbo Kid also briefly graced the silver screen. Since then we’ve continued to see more retro synth inspired spoofs like “Escape from North Korea,” “Commando Ninja,” and the not-so-spoofy (and wildly good) synth backed “Blood Machines.”

We’re super stoked to see that after almost 6 years the indie film is getting it’s own video game. After all, Kung Fury got it’s own video game not too long after it was released!

This album is a fantastic tribute to classic 16 bit video game soundtracks. Especially – you guessed it – the Sega Genesis. Instead of relying on 80’s sounds, Terra Genesis’ “Aurorium” instead finds inspiration in early 90’s game tracks and synths like those in “Sonic the Hedgehog,” “Super Mario World,” and “Mega Man 3.” The overall effect is best described by Terra Genesis himself, as “…Anthemic rave jams crafted fro dungeon crawls and dance halls alike.”

What struck me about this release is how well produced the album is. “Aurorium” lacks the gimmicky sounds of other outrun chiptune – because it is infused with a healthy dose of modern outrun, darksynth, and EDM stylings. The result is nothing short remarkable – Terra Genesis has chartered new territory here with an interesting sound full of depth and intensity.

Grab a listen here now!

I’m not ashamed or embarrassed at all to admit that I even get a little teary-eyed at the right piece of VG music if I’m in the right frame of mind. What does shame me is that I’ve spent so little time talking about that here – the music itself. I’ve chosen a few pieces of music to talk about, and I’ll provide a link for readers to listen along with me. I bet some of you know these soundtracks by heart the same way I do though… you can probably call them up in your mind just like I can.

Everyone’s looking for ways to cope right now, and music is fantastic tool for that. Let’s immerse ourselves in it today like a nice hot bath. Let’s listen. Everyone’s been going through some rough shit lately, and we’re not going to talk about that at all, because everyone’s sick of it. We’re going to forget the lousy news and the stress and uncertainty of it all, and we’re going to pursue some self-care together. Let’s listen to some video game music.

Crash Man Stage Music

Mega Man II

Capcom, 1988

Composer: Takashi Tateishi

Ooh there’s energy in this one. Like… I love funk. I love jazz. Those types of music pick me up and keep me smiling and snapping my fingers when things get rough or I get discouraged. I think Jazz is medicine. And this piece is funky. Like you want to move. And in Crash Man’s stage, you certainly can’t sit still. The octave-walk on the bass line, the smooth but busy lead riffs… that’s fucking jazz fusion. And it bops. It makes you bop with it.

I have also found a sick remix of this using the MD/Genesis sound set… it is cherry. Turn the key in this motherfucker and drive.

Main Theme

Space Harrier

Sega, 1985

Composers: Yuzo Koshiro, Hiroshi Kawaguchi, Mark Cooksey

For an action-oriented ride like Space Harrier, this is such hopeful and upbeat music. The lovely harmonies and steady 80s rock beat lend this track a sense of forward movement, which is entirely appropriate and forms a huge part of the game’s charm game for me. You can tell that while there are aliens and obstacles to be blasted in the Fantasy Zone, Sega’s composers wanted you to remember: life can be fun. You’re playing a video game. Escape. “Welcome to the Fantasy Zone! Get ready!”

Thunder Landing (Stage 1 Theme)

Super Contra

Konami, 1988

Composer: Motoaki Furukawa (Club Kukeiha)

The music you put in the first stage/area/level of your video game can have a huge impact on how memorable it is. I always loved this one because it sets the tone for the entire game right out of the starting gate; You get that nice intro riff as your drop out of the helicopter, and that weighty orchestra hit comes back to… well, hit you.

Side note: I’ve probably gushed over this before, but Konami has always placed a high value on their music and the composers they use. I like to think it’s part of why they’re still in the ring after all these years. The Contra series is no exception.

Toxic Dump (Parts 1 and 2)

The Ooze

Sega, 1995

Composer: Howard Drossin

Yo, let me start by saying I love this fucking game. You get to play as an amorphous blob of green mutant ooze. It’s incredibly innovative and fun, and it has a killer soundtrack to boot. This is another good example of “make the level 1 music pop so they take notice.” I could listen to it on loop for a while.

I almost want to call this shit thrash-funk. Funk-thrash. You sort it out. You tell me. I just dig it. It’s dirty but frenetic. If Quentin Tarantino directed an Oscar the Grouch segment for Sesame Street this music might work well for it.

But that should never, ever happen. Or should it?

Evergreen (Ending Theme)

Castlevania 3/Akumajou Densetsu

Konami, 1989

Composers: Yoshinori Sasaki, Jun Funahashi, Yukie Morimoto

This one’s just a little piece of beauty to help close out an incredible masterpiece of a game. CV3 is one of the finest in the series (at least in my opinion), with the JP version utilizing that delicious VRC6 cartridge expansion to enrich and deepen the music’s body. To some people (who suck), it’s just some low-bit “strings” layered over each other. To me, this track speaks of comfort. The relief and peace of a job well done. Fuck you, Dracula. Get a hobby. Stop bothering us.

But then, if he ever did, we’d run out of Castlevania juice. I need that shit. I’m thirsty. (the third season of the show is so good!)

All right RetroFans… I’ll be back with more goodness later on. Stay safe and sane, and most importantly, Stay Retro!

That’s right folks. Street Cleaner is set to purge the streets this fall with a brand new retro action indie game from Creaky Lantern Games. Taking on the lead role as Street Cleaner himself, you will eradicate crime from the city and face “…intense boss fights like Master Feng the ninja overlord, Big Jerry the dance club manager, and Agent Artemis sniper extraordinaire.”

For the new game Street Cleaner created an entirely new, intense and authentic 8-bit soundtrack, something which was new to the artist:

“The entire In-Game soundtrack is chiptunes like you would find in that period game. I spent a great deal of time learning an archaic DAW to painstakingly wrote a whole new soundtrack that is authentic as possible….It was very difficult to wrap my head around the software. I’ve been using the same DAW exclusively for 15 years, so stepping back into an old tracker style sequencer was not easy. But the end goal was worth it!” – SC

Check out the trailer below, and check out Street Cleaner: The Video Game here on Steam!

Sure, chiptune and 8bit music has been around for a while, but mostly as covers or simply chiptune – but very rarely has it been so successfully blended into other genres as with “Transient Offworld.” Combined with expert levels of production and composition, LukHash’s debut NRW release is an instant classic, and not one you want to miss!

Grab a listen here now!

Continuing his trend of excellence from release of “Naomi,” the first single, “Paradigm Shift” is another wonderfully produced piece of synthwave. With sounds like this coming out, LukHash’s next album is sure to be a string of hits!

Listen here

We’re extremely excited to welcome LukHash to our roster, and we’re loving their signature sound of glossy blend cyberpunk and synthwave mixed with chiptune.

It gets even more fantastic when you realize that most of these synth leads were actually played on a commodore 64! Check out some of the videos here!

Listen to the single here!