From their early days as an art-punk act to their commercial breakthrough as one of electropop’s most celebrated acts, Chromatics have built themselves a legacy that is sure to resonate through the decades to come, particularly within the retrowave scene.

Whether it be for their production, their visuals or simply their nostalgia-infused, dreamy songs, the band has made an indelible mark on the Synthwave scene as one of the great acts people will dream to have witnessed live.

Whatever the reasons may be behind the breakup, we certainly hope we’ll be hearing more from Adam, Ruth, Nat and Johnny very soon.

Just Drive (Part 2) is available now for digital download as well as on Vinyl, Cassette, Mini Disc and CD via NRW Records.

To top it off, this edition also contains several remixes from the likes of Betamaxx, Anoraak, Maethelvin, Morgan Willis, Glitbiter, and more! At the time of this writing, there is a scant 21 copies left – grab one now before they’re gone!

Parallels is comprised of vocalist Holly Dodson, drummer Cameron Findlay (formerly of Crystal Castles), and Joey Kehoe smashing it up on the synths. “Visionaries” dives into a pensive, disco-influenced electro synthpop sound that was an early influence on the synthwave genre, having been released way back in 2010. Since then they’ve released an EP and album that slapped the charts, and even collaborated with Futurecop!

The Parallels sound has always been intriguing, mixing melancholic and introspective vocals with glistening synth melodies and some truly groovy, driving drums. This sound has truly never sounded so great as with this “(10th Anniversary Edition) remaster of Visionaries.” Many times you can barely even tell the difference on a remaster – but here it is an absolutely inspired update with crystal-clear vox, boosted basslines and a deliciously new highlighted grooves.

The plethora of new remixes from a large swath of heavy-hitting retrosynth artists also gives this release a huge boost. “Visionaries” always felt close to retro synthwave, but still succinctly fell more into the electropop category. With the addition of these truly fantastic remixes, we finally hear the Parallels sound shine with a delicious retro synthwave influence. The two varied sounds meld so perfectly together, it’s easy to imagine what Parallels could have been if they had really focused in on that retro sound.

Overall, “Visionaries (10th Anniversary Edition)” is a wildly fantastic album who’s mix of influences reminds us of the early days of synthwave in the very best of ways. It’s an amazing package of nostalgia – even for the times have have just recently passed. You don’t want to miss this one, and I’ve even grabbed a copy myself. My only wish for this album is that it gets a release on cassette!

Grab a listen to this fantastic remaster and it’s decadent remixes here!

If you’re feeling nostalgic, there are some actual first-edition copies left of “Visionaries” too here!

Released on October 16th, ‘Nights change days’ is the brand new EP from LGHTNNG and boy are we super psyched that NRW Records have the pleasure of releasing this one.

Hailing from Groningen in the Netherlands, LGHTNNG have quickly established themselves within the retro community with one of the strongest debut’s I’ve heard this year. So often in our wonderful scene, it takes artists an EP or two to really figure out in which direction they’re heading in and the sound is often developed and crafted over a number of years. What’s rad about ‘Nights change days’ is that it revels in its own self awareness and confidence, whilst the songs come together like pieces of a jigsaw puzzle.

The EP opens with the superbly laid back and gorgeous, ‘Sad Humming’, instantly transporting us into a nocturnal daze. Doortje’s vocals are absolutely beautiful and her sweet tones deliver melancholic lyrics with ease and conviction. Moving into ‘Desert Kings’ we are faced with a brilliant balance of music and vocals, it beats as one heart and it conjures imagery like some kind of lucid dream. ‘Loneliness’ is soulful and the lyrics are poetic, it oozes maturity and it stands up against anything that Chvrches have released in the passed year. This song quickly became a instant favourite of mine and I did replay it on numerous occasions, its probably best I not divulge the exact total. By the time the final two tracks play out, ‘Sharks’ and ‘One night away’ it becomes clearly evident that what you’ve heard is an insanely strong EP and the glimpses of guitar and piano add extra depth to the clear and direct synth sound. Nothing really feels overdone here and the benevolent spirit of the songs remain from start to finish.

Although I don’t dispute there being deep set emotions at the core of this record, Its sugary undertones help make it feel very accessible and I feel ‘Nights change days’ could really capture the hearts and minds of not just fans of the retro scene, but a wider pop audience too. For those of you who haven’t had time to check this one out yet, I urge you not to waste another minute without it.