I know, I know. When is a bad time to enjoy music from NRW?
Funerals? Even that’s debatable. You don’t need me to tell you how to enjoy music, but I’ve broken down the six ways that I enjoy the
music from this scene.

I’m a writer (duh!). In fact, moments when I am not writing
for NRW, teaching, or writing songs for my band (I’m a busy man!), I’m writing
fiction. The fiction I write tends to have a slight science fiction angle. NRW
compliments that perfectly and really helps with fleshing out a story or world
building. The focus on digital sound and atmosphere help set the mood for not
just speculative fiction, but really any kind of writing.  

If you have a commute that puts you on the road for any
length during either dawn or dusk hours, I strongly recommend making yourself a
nice little playlist of retrowave to accompany you. If you’ve just downed a
tall cup of the blackest of Twin-Peaks-inspired coffee and climbed into your
commuter cockpit, the sounds will soothe you as you drive to your (hopefully
not soul-crushing) job.

And then you get to work! This is particularly applicable if
your job requires you to do tedious actions over and over again while you think
about your dreams and regrets. While I adore my day job as a teacher, grading
can get a little grating (see what I did there?).  When it’s just me and a pile of worksheets or
essays, some smooth background music is just what I need to feel inspired and
keep going. Sometimes I use NRW music as a timepiece. Try doing a certain
required task for the duration of an EP or full length album before taking a
short break.  NRW at work may apply if
you’re a DJ, but that’s a whole other business entirely.

This one gives away my fantastic social life. When I’m alone
I get seriously down to some NRW. If you even remotely enjoy dancing by
yourself, give it a spin with this. You’ll find your shoulders and hips moving
much more naturally than you’d expect. Since you’re alone, you don’t have to
worry about looking like a goofball in front of anyone, and the music has a
tempo that’s pretty friendly for casual dancing. Not to brag, but I haven’t had
a chance to try it in front of people.

It really depends on the distance and the runner. If you are
running a long distance and tend to do so often, it works better. I’ve been
pretty adamant about exercising for most of my adult life. Bro, I don’t really
lift. I do, however, run long distance. I’m pretty all over the place as far as
my musical tastes go, and my running playlists reflect that. I have a few that
heavily feature NewRetroWave songs. It helps me keep pace and just forget that
I’m running for long stretches of time. Because let’s face it: running is the
worst.

This is it. This is my favorite way to listen to NRW. I live in an area that is very near to an immense rural countryside. Riding a bike through there and letting the colors of the hills and trees pour over your senses makes you feel like a transparent eyeball. You just soak in the entire world. The lush pads and gorgeous retro-synths add to the feeling. And for a few brief moments, the road, the bike, the music, and you all becomes a singularity. I’ve made no secret about my love of Timecop1983. I gave his latest EP a rave review and loved the Journeys full length. I was biking this summer around some crazy bend in a hillside when the opening track hit me. I had to stop and just look around at the beautiful Pennsylvania landscape for a few moments before riding off, literally into the sunset, feeling truly happy.

But enough about me, how do you listen to these groovy tunes, man? Comment below! I’d love to continue the conversation. 

– Joey