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Evil lurks on Occam Laser’s ‘Phantasm’

Robin Ono — Wed, 04 May 2022 16:00:51 +0000

Years go by and time trudges on to a desolate future, sparing not a single moment of rest for the wickedest souls of the west. A mere year after dropping the Odyssey of Noise album trilogy as well as bringing the Occult musical saga into a new decade Occams Laser is bouncing back into the ring to score his seventh knockout round since 2020.

Phantasm is a ravenous new chapter for the dark synth warlock, fueled by bloodlust and dedicated to the wretched beasts that lurk below. Packed with overdriven synth leads, buzz bass lines and pummeling beats, Phantasm is a thrill-ride fit to score your sweetest nightmares.

Occams Laser ‘Phantasm’ is out now on Bandcamp and Spotify.

Top 10 Dark & experimental tracks of 2021

Robin Ono — Fri, 17 Dec 2021 11:00:57 +0000

For those who bloodlust knows no bounds, who prefer the deep tones of scarlet red than the glow of neon lights, we’ve got you covered this year. Here are our top 10 of this years’ sickest, most heaviest tracks from retrowave’s most hostile fringes.

10. Occams Laser – Halls of the Damned

9. Starfarer – Highrider

8. Burial Grid – Caput Mortuum

7. Acryl Madness – Kill _Em All

6. Microchip terror – Circuitry of Doom

5. Hollywood burns – Abomination from Planet X

4. Perturbator – Death of the Soul

3. Sierra X Matteo Tura – Inner Speech

2. Abstract Void – Forward to the Past

1. Gost – Bound by the Horror

Occams Laser – Occult 90

Robin Ono — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 10:00:04 +0000

Something dark this way comes. The darksynth juggernaut from Britain is back on the scene with a vengeance, marking a grand comeback with a new milestone instalment in the Occult album series. Two years since Occult 89 Occams Laser is marking a brave new step into a sinister new decade with Occult 90, a rabid onslaught of buzzsaw synth riffs and pummeling beats. Brittle ears best be warned, for Occams Laser leaves little in the area of respite from its hellish, horrific ambience.

From the ashes of what came before a new chapter can begin.
To usher in this new era our order must find a pure source from which to rekindle what was lost. We have glimpsed beyond the infinite void and yet still remain. Our pilgrimage of discovery must continue.

The Year is 1990, welcome to Occult 90…

It’s spooky, it’s heavy and it’s just pure, plain fun. For those looking for a killer soundtrack to kick off the Halloween season, look no further: Occult 90 is THE horrorsynth album for this years haunted festivities.

Favorite tracks : Red Gates, Savage Acts

Occams Laser ‘Occult 90’ is out now on Spotify and Bandcamp

Occams Laser – Return to the Grid

Andrew Zistler — Fri, 28 Feb 2020 19:03:28 +0000

The UK based phantasm Occams Laser has released “Return to the Grid” – an amazing reimagining of the soundtrack to Tron Legacy.

Described as a “…direct continuation to my album ‘The Grid’ from 2016,” and a “spiritual replacement soundtrack to Tron Legacy…” this beautifully crafted synth experience draws inspiration from the original score with a modern twist on “techniques, styles, effects and my own spin on implementation.”

Each track title offers a hint to which part of the film it applies too, and ranges in styles depending on the amount of action associated on screen. We love the innovation here, and this concept of replacing soundtracks really shows the chops of the current synth producers in our community when contrasted against the original score!

Grab a listen here!

Elay Arson – Dusk Incarnate

Andrew Zistler — Thu, 06 Feb 2020 20:01:58 +0000

Prepare yourself – the wizards of synth metal Elay Arson are dropping their fourth full length album tomorrow!

The Colorado based duo’s senior album, entitled “Dusk Incarnate” is slated to be a momentous and brutal release. Not only have they refined their signature darksynth metal sound to a razor’s edge – but they’ve also featured some huge figures in the darksynth circuit, like Occam’s Laser, FacexHugger, The Encounter, Dredd, Nova and the Ghost, Wickline, and even Megan McDuffee!

Only four of the twelve tracks are currently available for listening, but if these are any preview of the rest of the album, Elay Arsons’s “Dusk Incarnate” is sure to be a varied white-hot blinding synthmetal experience.

Check it out here now!

Occams Laser – Force Majeure

Joey Edsall — Tue, 09 Feb 2016 22:33:12 +0000

Occams Laser claims the intention of creating “sounds which take you back to a post-apocalyptic version of the 80s where robots run the streets”. This is a bit of a swing and a miss on Force Majeure, which is a solid EP that in no way resembles that artist-stated intention.

“Nothing But Thieves” is an excellent vocal synthwave track that seamlessly blends Vangelis-esque synths with a jazzy lounge smoothness. The vocals are rawer than is typically found in the genre. While I typically enjoy vocals that are drenched in effects, this works well for the minimal composition, in particular when a few of the vocals begin to overlap.

The best song on the EP is probably “Patterns”, which is another minimal track built around a heavily modulated piano tone and 808-sounding drums. The beat is actually reminiscent of Kanye West’s work on 808’s and Heartbreak, but with a Kid A level of unpredictability, neither of which is not a compliment I give out lightly. The open space and room to breathe makes it a standout not only on the album, but in the scene this year.

The rest of the songs on the EP do not have the level of minimalism found on these tracks, instead infused with a sad and introspective style of funk. It is not so far removed as to be jarring, and the EP in general flows well.

“Quelle Suprise” is the second vocal track, and is definitely worth a listen. The balance between bounciness and moodiness found throughout is charming. It has a heaping of the aforementioned funk sensibility, but with more traditionally synthwave vocals. From a compositional standpoint, it has the best melodies on the entire release. We’re talking Hall & Oates level catchiness. Instrumentally, it has that a lot in common with that era of soul music, but with 80’s inspired bass synths and drums. While not as strange as “Nothing But Thieves” or “Patterns”, it is certainly odd.

The other three songs are good when taken with the EP as a whole, but it is really those three songs that pull me to frequent replays. This may not be some post-apocalyptic robot nonsense, but it is post-singularity neo-sentimentalism, which is a fresher aesthetic in the scene anyway.

PS. He has a pretty cool “Hotline Bling” cover on SoundCloud.

Force Majeure by Occams Laser

COMMUNITY RATINGS

Joey Edsall was born and raised near Scranton, Pennsylvania. He has always immersed himself in art, being an avid fan of film and music. In addition to the electronic production aspect of music, he is the lead guitarist of Scranton-based post-hardcore band Give Us Your Bones.

Photo by Amanda Dittmar

Email: joe********@**********ve.com