One thing that is for sure is that Kavinsky has definitely cozied up to the Synthwave genre and the love it has given him over the past decade. If anything, Reborn very much feels like the exact comeback album that the Retrowave scene has been wanting to hear from him for all of these years, the very album some may have built a name on by attempting to produce.

The main issue one may address about the album is that whereas past releases helped flesh out a new retro retro aesthetic, Reborn does little if anything to expand this universe further. The steady pace that is maintained throughout most of its 47 minute runtime eventually flattens out the impact of the album’s main singles and further instills the impression of a driver cruising on autopilot. Furthermore, the vocal performances more or less blend together seamlessly whilst not quite living up to the grandeur of Belorgey’s past hit singles. ‘Goodbye’ featuring Sébastien Tellier stands out in its attempt to evoke the raspy, robotic vocal effect of ‘Night Call’, but feels ultimately dwarved by its predecessor.

Ultimately, Reborn stands on firm ground as a tribute to Belorgey’s retrowave legacy, adds a couple of new cuts to your Outrun playlist but doesn’t quite hold the sense of ambition needed to stand out from its peer releases and lead the retrowave sound to new horizons.

Kavinsky Reborn is out now.

Featuring Prudence (the Dø) and Morgan Phalen (Diamond Nights) on vocals, ‘Zenith’ has been announced as a sequel to the Outrun mega-hit ‘Nightcall’. The track adopts a more contemplate vibe than ‘Renegade‘, with sexy sax licks and wailing synth leads that will take you back to the days of leopard spandex and curly-haired hard-rock ballads.

Kavinsky ‘Reborn’ is out on March 25th via Astralwerks/Record Makers and is available for pre-order.

9. John Mint – Modern Appeal

8. Com Truise – Arwarw

7. Kavinsky ft. Cautious Clay – Renegade

6. Arcade High – Glow

5. Phaserland ft.Glitbiter – Space Glide

4. Cinnamon Chasers – Lightchaser

3. Niky Nine ft.6S9– Warr

2. Starcadian – Neonhead

1. Waveshaper – The Phantom Machine

10. Dynatron – Origins

9. Hollywood Burns – Saturday Night Screamer

8. Eagle Eyed Tiger – Untether, Unravel

7. Starcadian – Culture

6. Waveshaper – Client

5. Gost – A fleeting Whisper

4. Kavinsky – Renegade

3. Quixotic – Highway violence

2. Sierra – All about love

1. Waveshaper – The Phantom Machine

Honorable Mentions

• Perturbator – Death of the Soul

• Danger – Haven Virtual concert

• LAU – True

After nearly early years of waiting, Vincent Belorgey’s undead night drifter persona has once again risen to deliver some high speed, French thrills.

Renegade hits off with a violent, slapping beat on a steady groove and features a grandiose, larger-than-life chorus delivered by Brooklyn-based musician and producer Cautious Clay. After Daft Punk and Gesaffelstein’s big singles featuring The Weeknd, ‘Renegade’ firmly sets the upcoming comeback record Reborn in this new decade of Rnb-driven French touch production whilst retaining the core Kavinsky blueprint.

The Parisian producer even appears to start off this new chapter with a nod to his genre-defining debut album with the line “I’m on the run with you”.

If that’s anything to go by, it looks like the new Kavinsky record is going to deliver all that the retrowave scene has been yearning for the past decade.

Now rejoice, tune in and groove out to the sound of a king back on his throne.

Kavinsky ‘Renegade’ is out now on all streaming platforms.

A new single titled “Renegade” is scheduled to drop one month from now, on November 19^th 2021. The newly unveiled teaser image also unveils that a full-length effort is also on the way. The aptly titled ‘Reborn’ would serve as the artist’s sophomore album and his first release in over eight years.

Die-hard fans will be delighted to find that Kavinsky has stayed true to retro aesthetic that marked his first few releases. The teaser poster is an obvious nod to James Cameron’s Terminator 2, and features Belorgey in his old red-eyed blue zombie persona.

All signs seem to point at a grand return for the producer and a historic moment for the Synthwave scene, and although one month is but the briefest amount of time in the grand scheme of things, the anticipation is sure to make this next month a long one.

Starting off strong, we’re talking about Kavinsky. Even for those who aren’t devout
followers of synthwave, this name might ring a bell. Born Vincent Pierre Claude Belorgey and
arriving on the scene in early 2006 with his EP Teddy Boy which immediately set the tone for his
future work with standouts like “Testarossa Nightdrive” which was followed up by the legendary track “Wayfarer” from his 2007 EP 1986. Most will have become familiar with Kavinsky with the 2011 release of the movie Drive, featuring the now iconic track “Nightcall”. With Drive itself being a major influencer on the synthwave scene itself with its gorgeous aesthetic it is no wonder why the two go so well together. Like many artists in this scene, Kavinsky is heavily influenced by his favorite movies and we can definitely feel the nostalgic vibe in each track. Widely considered one of the greatest
tracks of the entire genre, “Nightcall” cemented Kavinsky as a titan of synthwave and set the
gold standard for how music in this genre should sound.

Next up is another artist brought into the mainstream spotlight by Drive for most listeners. We’re talking about Electric Youth. Consisting of Bronwyn Griffin and Austin Garrick, the synthpop duo Electric Youth is perhaps most famous for the track “A Real Hero”, which basically
became the theme song for the main character of Drive, The Driver. Written about the crash landing of US Airways Flight 1549 it became an instant classic with its rolling synths and silky smooth vocals. This track single-handedly showed what Bronwyn and Austin are capable of and it is no question that “A Real Hero” will continue to be remembered as a staple of the genre for years to come. While “A Real Hero” was arguably the standout track on their 2014 release Innerworld it is just one of many memorable experiences on this album. You would be remiss to not lose yourself in the soothing synths of “Runaway”, “Innocence”, and “WeAreTheYouth”.

Having collaborated with Electric Youth on “A Real Hero”, the spotlight now falls onDavid Grellier hailing from Nantes, France. Known to many around the world for his musicalproject, College. Grellier is a member of many different projects each with their own unique sound. Like nearly all artists in this genre, Grellier was inspired by the aesthetic of the ‘80s and shapes his music around these influences. Through College, Grellier has consistently released great material always following his own unique sound but managing to make each release fresh and interesting. Many of his best work as College can be found on the 2008 EP Teenage Color, especially the opener “Can you kiss me first” featuring sounds that deliver instant nostalgic callbacks. Contrast this with the track “Save the Day” featuring Nola Wren from the 2014 release of the same name and we can hear the same soft consistent beats and vocals that he is famous for. The list of artists that pioneered the synthwave genre goes on and is nearly endless. No matter how long you have been creating music, each artist can honestly be considered a pioneer all working to deliver an experience of their own through this style of music. We’re proud to consider Kavinsky, Electric Youth, and College to be the golden standard and it goes without saying that we will continue to watch all of their careers with great interest, as always.

]]> https://newretrowave.com/2021/08/18/the-origins-of-synthwave-part-1/feed/ 1 https://newretrowave.com/2019/06/05/power-glove-playback/ https://newretrowave.com/2019/06/05/power-glove-playback/#respond Wed, 05 Jun 2019 20:04:14 +0000 https://newretrowave.com/?p=27212 The Melbourne-based synth progenitors Power Glove have returned after nearly 4 years with the stunning “Playback,” their first full-length album! This release runs the gamut of synth, returning to Power Glove’s roots and simultaneously updating their sound with a unique multi-genre perspective that is well worth the wait!

Power Glove is comprised of the brother-duo Jarome and Joel Harmsworth – who have been releasing high quality synthwave for almost a decade now. Gaining early notoriety in 2010 with the stunning “EP 1,” when the synthwave scene existed within the confines of Myspace, Power Glove went on to produce tracks for the cult classic film “Hobo With a Shotgun” and Ubisoft’s “Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon.” After that they continued on to release EP 2 and another soundtrack.

Now after 4 long years Power Glove is back and better than ever, releasing an absolute bombshell of an album. Every track is expertly produced and mastered, really bringing out the best of what Power Glove has to offer. “Playback” is easily one of the best installments in their entire discography, even edging close to unseating the their historic and seminal “EP 1.”

This album is filled with sonic references to legends like College, Daft Punk, Danger, and Justice, incorporating iconic deep french synths, bass stabs, and bitcrunch effects. This acts to quickly transport the listener back to the 00’s and the very beginnings of retro synthwave as it evolved from French house. “Playback” in short, is a true return to form. The most amazing feat is that in spite of borrowing all of these influences, nothing on this album feels repetitive or derivative – somehow it all remains identifiably Power Glove.

In addition to the titanic influences and iconic sound there are also tracks on this album that feel completely different, with hints of future funk, ambient, and even a touch of pop peppered throughout – though never heavy handed. These tracks really break up the intensity of the full album, giving the listener a break and showing the true breadth of what Power Glove can accomplish as producers. The result is a well-rounded album that pokes at not just the nostalgia of the 80’s – but nostalgia for the advent of retro synth itself.

Check out the full album here:
Playback by Power Glove