Eternal Champion:
This song starts off with a trailing lead that intensifies over time, suddenly the bass is masked over by the guitar. By the time the synthesizer kicks in, it is obvious what is artificial and what’s real. This is the time to reminisce over 80s action movie vibes that we’ve long forgotten. 

Thunder Warriors:
I love the sinister thunderclap of this intro and how it ushers the guitar into a deadly vibe. Then the trajectory of the mood stops and the remainder of the track descends into an alternate personality. The theme seems to project an introduction of various elements, from guitar, to synth, to drum kicks. Once brought together, and the synchronicity is taken seriously, it strives to finish off with a stronger note than the initial chorus.

Coin Theif:
I’ll leave the introduction up to you to decipher, but what I really want to discuss is the crescendo and everything after 1:18. I firmly believe that this could have been its own track, and I would have been obsessed with it. The richness of the electronic elements provides a breath of fresh air, away from the start of the track. The electric guitar is slowly introduced back into the fray and makes for an enjoyable ride towards the end. 

Miracle Mission:
A slick, repetitive arpeggio and series of futuristic chimes grace our ears as we plunge into the next track, leading us into the trap of heavy guitar, drums, and bass. It’s almost like the electronic elements are under attack and forced to battle the 80’s hair metal nostalgia. There are parts of this track that seem to fall apart from the original theme, then get carried away into another.

Night Owl:
This next track smashes into the scene with fast-paced electronic chords followed by the thrashing energy of the guitar. Much of this track sounds to me like a boss fight. The cryptic variables within it prey upon the audible senses as an assertive means to grab your attention by the ears. There’s no need to take your foot off of the pedal, we’re deep within the confines of Dark Synthrock, and there’s no turning back.

The Runner:
Alongside the deafened choir raises a synthy cascade. Once the bass kicks in, our backs are against the wall and the progression of tempo hastens. The digitized down-tempo bridge is a playful and powerful method to keep both the guitar and synthesizer relevant rather than rivaling to claim their own territory.

Summoner:
Out of the vestiges of the darkest void emerges “Summoner”, which no doubt leaves me to assume that most of this album’s track titles reflect DnD references. The colorful melodies and enraged guitar chords synchronize into harmony over the punchy percussion. Laying waste to the litany of arpeggios and coordinated chimes.

Paladin:
Synthwave, Retrowave, and other sub-genres truly make it known that nostalgia can be masterfully applied and at times unknowingly refracted from a particular track as a mere reminder of something old but sounding new. “Call Me” by Blondie was the obvious motif used for this track. At about 1:00, I heard the lyrics alongside this particular chorus,
“Color me your color, baby
Color me your car
Color me your color, darling
I know who you are”
Listen for yourselves and let me know your thoughts. Is it a welcomed motif? Would a remix of “Call Me” be a badass Dark Synthrock cover? “Paladin” gives us a brief reflection of the possibility.

“Los Angeles 2019” continues that tradition with innovation – merging synth and tremolo picking, to create a frantic blast-beat effect. This track, and Shredder 1984’s work in general, is a perfect example of the kind of innovation within darksynth that keeps  the subgenre alive and well!

Check out the track here!

Quixotic has been producing synth for years starting around 2011, if not earlier. In all of that time he’s been refining his sound – and that wait has paid off.

“Flamingo Drive-In”  features a variety of synth genres, from italo to dreamwave and darksynth with righteous shredding throughout. Every track on this epic debut is perfectly produced as well, polished like a pure beam of neon jutting straight into our souls.

Recently Lazerpunk has even taken to the inter tubes to preach on this fanatically grand debut, singing high praises for Quixotic in general as well.

“…Quixotic is seriously one of the best guys I know, and probably THE best music producer….he is finally releasing his LP, which I was begging for him to do since forever. I remember doing phonecalls with him at 3am, talking about music for hours, and trying to convince him to just do it, let go of his perfectionism, just release it finally, but it was useless. And I’m not surprised or disappointed, as I knew from the start that he will only release this album once it is perfect.”

Check out this gem on bandcamp here.

Meteor’s synthwork has always been good – but with this latest release the ambiance is stepped up a notch, bringing “White Crows” fully into soundtrack territory. Each soundscape is lush – so much so that it is easy to imagine the gritty subterranean cyberpunk environment that the album aims for.

Having played guitar from the young age of 14, Meteor was one of the earlier artists to mix retro rock and synthwave to create an interesting, unique new sound. This rock sound definitely continues in “White Crows,” but it feels more bit mature and groovy than his previous releases – not in line with the heavier metal you usually hear from a darksynth/shredwave release. Instead, Meteor goes the way of a mix of David Gilmour and Mr. Mister – an ambient sort of blues rock-pop that calls to mind 80’s antihero detectives on the search for criminals, and willing to do anything to hunt them down.

This aesthetic fits perfectly with the narrative Meteor explained in a Reddit artist spotlight / AMA, where he revealed that as he produces music he frequently creates a narrative beforehand.  In the AMA he related that he would love to see Meteor in a video series or a graphic novel, and explained a bit about the character he’s created throughout these album releases.

“[Meteor is] … a bad guy who hates the bad guys, he is trying to make justice while committing some injustices. The “White Crows” are some kind of Asian mafia, they usually wear white suits and they are the biggest Meteor enemies. Each song of this new album is a scene of this story.”

All in all, “White Crows” absolutely nails that cyberpunk retro noir. This album feels like a soundtrack for
a film that doesn’t yet exist – expertly blending elements of darksynth, rock and ambient to arrive at a fully mature sound which tells a story in and of itself. There’s a little bit here for everyone and if you’ve enjoyed any of Meteor’s previous releases chances are you’ll love this atmospheric and witty update to his sound!

Top Tracks: “Slow Burn” “Secret Eyes” “Fugitive” and “When the Moon Rises”

White Crows by Meteor

Ultraboss – Kyrie Electron

Kyrie Electron by Ultraboss is OUT NOW! Download and/ or Stream it today!

Electric guitar takes center stage in Ultraboss’ epic, Kyrie Electron! An ensemble of guest artists lend their talents to this finely tuned rocket ship of retro glory, and the result will transport you to a new world of retrowave. With its engaging pace, electrifying riffs, and wealth of skillful contributions, Kyrie Electron is a tour de force that rocks the synth scene.