Taurus ‘Modern Romance’ releases on July 1st and is now available for pre-order via Bandcamp.

Favorite tracks: Falling in love at the drive-in, Latigo Beach.

Sunglasses Kid ‘Night Life’ is out now via Bandcamp and Spotify.

Favorite Tracks: Maelstrom, Voyager, Stranded Vision

Dameron ‘Stranded Vision’ is out now via Bandcamp and Spotify

As one could expect, the album packs a heavy dose of streamlined tracks, with unapologetic pop hooks that hit right on target with the efficiency one can only expect from a Swedish songwriter. For fans of melodramatic eighties pop, FUSIONWAVE is the album you need to keep your cravings in check for the next few weeks.

FUSIONWAVE by HOLOFLASH

HOLOFLASH ‘FUSIONWAVE’ is out now on Bandcamp.

Scintillating soundwaves wash over starlit shores of bittersweet memories, shrill resonances sing lonely melodies and distant bittersweet memories echo as you sink deeper into the Ryan Key’s dreamy soundscapes.

Willam Ryan Key ‘Everything Except Desire’ is out now on all streaming platforms.

Though the band’s overall career arguably places them in firmly the ‘Synthpop’ category rather than anywhere near the Retrowave label, the album’s distinctly retrowave tagline will most definitely will have caught the attention of some of you retroheads out there

Glaswegian Synthpop trio CHVRCHES made a landmark debut in 2013 with The Bones with what you Believe, a catchy synthpop album that earned them a safe place amongst indie pop fans and Pitchfork festival lineups. Though not recognized as such at the time, the band’s harnessing of old-school synth sounds and irresistibly catchy songs could very well be likened to the standard upon which most Retrowave artists strive to live up to today. Vocalist Lauren Mayberry’s youthful singing voice was perhaps just as crucial to the band’s success in the burgeoning retrowave scene as their love for Moog synths. Singles like ‘Recover’ and ‘The Mother we Share’ showed Lauren’s ability to add a strong sense of nostalgia and innocence to the compositions through her youthful vocal timbre.

The band followed up on the success of their first album three years later with Every Open Eye, a sophomore album that served up an equally effective amount of ear-catching hooks and sweet songs, albeit with a more modern flavor. The band also contributed to a track for a Drive tribute album with a fantastic single titled ‘Get Away’ which was later tagged onto their second album as a bonus track. From their third album onwards, the band’s success seemed to have washed away most of their indie and retro roots in favor of a full on EDM-infused pop album that would make Taylor Swift’s 1989 sound like a Mountain Goats record in comparison.

For this fourth album, the band (no doubt nudged by the success of albums such as Future Nostalgia or The Weeknd’s retro-horror album After Hours) have decided to take few steps back to reconnect with their retro roots. So does the album hold any interest to a confirmed retrowave fanatic?

Tone-wise, the album’s sound doesn’t steer anywhere near the dark tone the title, visuals and themes hinted at. Screen Violence is essentially CHVRCHES as you know them. The band’s twinking sounds and melancholic melodies are still the main force carrying the songs.

A few glimpses of old retro sounds occasionally emerge but are quickly smoothened by the album’s distinctly modern, cinematic production. The album’s main single ‘How Not To Drown’ adds a touch of aggression with some roomy drums and guitar riffs, though Robert Smith’s guest spot does little to pull the band out of their comfort zone.

Nonetheless, the album does offer a good handful of tracks through which the band’s long-standing love for eighties powerballads shine through. ‘Good Girls’ and ‘Final Girl’ are essentially a modernized eighties pop anthem with an updated production, whereas the albums.

Overall, Screen Violence is a record that will please longtime fans of the band but won’t do much to sway any listeners in the CHVRCHES camp.

CHVRCHES ‘Screen Violence’ is out now on all streaming platforms

The single was released alongside a flashy music video directed by Cliqua, who previously directed two of Abel’s music videos for After Hours.

*EPILEPSY WARNING*

It’s been a while since our last Let Em Riot release, “The Futurist,” back in 2018. With his signature dreamy synth and laid-back Californian vibes, it was long overdue for another! The first single, “Not Enough,” is available to stream now on the bandcamp album page – and shows what may be an interesting renewed focus on a more alt-pop vocal heavy sound for Let Em Riot.

With a heavy focus on lyricism and introspection, this may be Let Em Riot’s most thought-provoking album yet. Only time and more single-releases will tell what’s in store for us on “Years Later!”

Grab a listen of the first chilled out single here! ]]> https://newretrowave.com/2020/07/30/let-em-riot-new-album-years-later-out-august-7th/feed/ 0 https://newretrowave.com/2017/07/26/synthwave-covers-taking-the-noughties-back-to-the-eighties/ https://newretrowave.com/2017/07/26/synthwave-covers-taking-the-noughties-back-to-the-eighties/#respond Wed, 26 Jul 2017 16:14:31 +0000 http://new-retro-wave.com/2017/07/26/2017726synthwave-covers-taking-the-noughties-back-to-the-eighties/ The sheer scope and diversity of modern music means that all kinds of genres are thriving at the moment. As our album reviews section shows, the effortless cool of synthwave in particular is an area where many artists continue to thrive. Whether it is Com Truise or College, artists are continuing to push boundaries and uncover new layers and depth in electronic music.

It’s great. Seriously, this album is very good for the entire duration and doesn’t let up. Opening track “Roam” is largely a mood-establishing track, but when Hayley Stewart’s vocals kick in, drenched in space, it’s hard not to get chills, and even harder not to get them when the strange synth melody starts playing behind it. On Arms of Night, Hayley Stewart gives her best vocal performance to date. Her range has increased since Constellations, and the delivery has taken on an ethereal quality that matches the instrumentals even more than on any of the band’s previous releases. Jared Kyle’s vocals are still unlike anybody else in the scene and channel the 80’s underground heavily. Male vocals in synthwave are still somewhat of a novelty, so most male vocalists manage to sound distinct on synthwave tracks. Even if an established cliche male vocal style existed in the genre, I don’t think Kyle’s vocals would qualify as it. Just listen to the album’s titular track. Apart from the compositional, melodic, and lyrical nod to Echo & the Bunnymen, there is a serious channelling of the unsung heroes of the 80’s. 

There’s a lo-fi vibe to much of this album, but it largely adds to the experience and highlights just how strong the melodies are. The chorus of “War We Fight” is prime example of this, and also a prime example of the best weapon in Dead Astronauts’ arsenal. When Kyle and Stewart sing in unison, it is always the best part of the song. I’m not sure how this would translate if an entire track was constructed like this, but by using it where they do, it creates clear highlights in the songs where it’s used. “No Voice Remains” and “Black Echo” are two standouts in a row as the first half of the album ends. The former is catchy from the ground up, with something pleasing to hear in every layer of its constant use of countermelody. The latter is one of the poppier moments of the album, which is definitely not a bad thing. Pop is not usually associated with darksynth, but when Dead Astronauts tap into their pop sensibilities they are at their most memorable and exciting. There is a real ear for hooks. 

“Eject” might be the best song on the album, and more than any other song that the group has released deserves to be listened to on the best headphones you have. The pairing of low synths with chirping synths against a pulsing background groove recalls some of the Crystal Castles best work but with Dead Astronauts clearer sense of melody and retro aesthetic. The strange “Invisible Creatures” follows, which has some of the oddest sounds on the album and uses them to great effect. 

This album deserves, at the very least, a listen from anybody casually interested in the genre. It is a solid evolution from one of the most original artists in the scene and manages to be a standout in already standout year. 

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

]]> https://newretrowave.com/2016/11/19/dead-astronauts-arms-of-night/feed/ 0 https://newretrowave.com/2014/12/23/wretrowave-com201412trevor-something-drops-new-epic-ep-html/ https://newretrowave.com/2014/12/23/wretrowave-com201412trevor-something-drops-new-epic-ep-html/#respond Tue, 23 Dec 2014 18:18:00 +0000 http://new-retro-wave.com/2014/12/23/wretrowave-com201412trevor-something-drops-new-epic-ep-html/

Listen up folks. Your ears will thank you in the multitudes!!

-NRW

]]> https://newretrowave.com/2014/12/23/wretrowave-com201412trevor-something-drops-new-epic-ep-html/feed/ 0 https://newretrowave.com/2014/12/11/wretrowave-com201412nrw-gets-to-know-futurecop-in-exclusive-html/ https://newretrowave.com/2014/12/11/wretrowave-com201412nrw-gets-to-know-futurecop-in-exclusive-html/#respond Thu, 11 Dec 2014 21:50:00 +0000 http://new-retro-wave.com/2014/12/11/wretrowave-com201412nrw-gets-to-know-futurecop-in-exclusive-html/

Manzur Iqbal of Futurecop! talks ‘Fairy Tales’ and his new Burger Joint venture with NRW 

by Rhys Pearce: 

RP –  Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today, I understand things must be pretty hectic for you at the moment. How are you guys and what you been up to?

MI – We are good, it’s been a great experience making the music of this album, think it took about 2 years to do it, but it’s probably the most eclectic and deep thinking record we have made, so far. We have also been busy opening our first Burger joint, Cafe & Cake room in English town called Alderley Edge in Cheshire, UK called Tomfoolery at 34.

RP – How has the reception been for the new record, ‘Fairy Tales’ so far?

MI – Good I think, we have had great comments from fans, which is heart-warming. Also its good to see we have gained other fans who are new to synth-esque type music.

RP – You collaborated with alot of cool people on the new album, can you tell us a little about ‘Futurecop!’s’ recording process and how you choose who you would like to work with?

MI – Yeah sure, well we make all the instrumental before hand. Think we made around 35 songs and then chose the tracks that best fit the concepts and ideas we want to portrait. From then it’s a search for the right singers, usually we start with the people we know, then move to searching via Bandcamp. For the album and each song we have a very in-depth story and ideas written up for it, which we pass over to the singer, who we give the freedom to come up with the lyrics. It’s funny because its quite deep yet at the end we tell all singers to be very vague, so people can relate it to their own life or environment. I think it’s important to get people working on the project to really get their heads around the the ideas, which can be hard as the ideas are something you either love or hate plus we had more time to think deeply about it, unlike a singer just coming on board.

RP –  Together with Luke Thompson of Canopy Films you’ve released a batch of videos to accompany some of the songs featured on the new record, can you expand on how this idea came about and what your inspiration was behind the videos? 

MI – What we liked about Luke’s work was that it was more cinematic and he really got the whole ‘lost summer’ atmosphere and his shots would film symbols as well as a story, which viewers could see and hopefully relate too. One of the ideas behind the album was the idea of human equality, how we are all the same when we are born and to really understand people and the things they have gone through socially, before judging them. So we wanted to capture feelings through symbols that everyone has felt as children. I think it was more to do with that than the actual story. The story was by myself, and follows kids from the 60s and 90s and again displays equality for kids in all time periods. The ending has a nice twist, that really shows how life can move in mysterious and beautiful ways and how adults can really learn from their youth, to be better people. Anyway you will understand once all the videos are released. There are 6 in total and the 4th one (Mermaids) will be released this Friday.

RP – You’ve played shows in the US as well as in the UK, do you feel the current retro synth scene differs greatly in these countries?

MI – I am not really sure, it’s quite diverse, so it’s hard to know what to call it or more importantly what they call it. I think the scene is very creative and so everyone is always trying to look different to the current brand. I personally think of us as electronic artists, yes we have our core influences from 80s, 90s, dreams, nostalgia etc but we are open to making any type of music, we want this freedom, it allows no barriers to our thoughts, plus Futurecop! is a personal project, therefore as a growing band we are always changing in our ideas and enhancing our original core ideas. Currently we are interested in spirituality and religious history. So you never know what will the next record will be like.

RP – The whole retro synth movement has really blown up over the last couple of years and many new artists have emerged, do you have any advice to any kids out there just starting out in the scene?

MI – Sounds cheesy but stay true to yourself, don’t listen to anyone who tells you about changing or doing something that will get you fans, money, views or massive tours. MUSIC IS NOT ABOUT VIEWS, it’s touching people’s hearts. Be yourself and you’ll get true fans. Age old saying; quality not quantity.

RP – What’s currently in your Walkman? Any recommendations for the NRW readers?

MI – This is a funny one, I’m actually a fan of discovering old music that is new to me. Or anything that touches the heart I guess. So lately I’m into Goo Goo Doll’s old stuff, Lisa Gerrard, Danny Elfman’s Edward Scissorhands soundtrack, Queen, Rusted Root, Enigma, REM, Bryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen, Pavement, Heart, Lemonheads, Joan Osborne, Funeral for a Friend, Deftones, Jean-Jaques Goldman. A lot of love ballads too. New bands I’m into are Rise Against and Angels & Airwaves

You can also check out our label ‘We are the future Records’ for some great music from the likes of New shack, Hats, New Arcades, Timecop1983 and Exiles.

RP – What’s the plan for Futurecop! in 2015?

MI – Besides opening the new burger joint, we want to get into making movie scores plus singles, remixes and new videos from the album. Stay updated on our social media to hear more.

RP – I understand you’re a big fan of the late great filmmaker, John Hughes? – Of which character from any of his films are you most like and why?

MI – Oh it changes all the time, I feel like I’m like 10 different people in one body sometimes. However deep inside I’m the male version of Allison Reynolds, the basket case. 

RP –  Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me today and I hope you have a great Christmas and New Year!

MI – Thanks and we wish you a great Christmas too and a Happy New Year. Thank you for supporting us and especially the upcoming and new artists. 

‘Fairy Tales’ by Futurecop! is out now.

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