The television set blasts the crummy, desolate living room with a grizzly white light, torn and tattered across a grainy screen. The twilight hour strikes, cueing a muddled set of obscure clips to flash and coalesce into a chaotic nighttime programmed of deranged audiovisual psychedelia. Welcome to prime time for the lost souls, brought to you by Baldocaster and formally as Ident.

 Tune in to Baldocaster’s ‘Ident’ via Bandcamp.

Every hit lands square on target with devastating results and the fuzzy basslines are finetuned to raise hairs throughout the album’s 11 tracks. Cyberpunks best not miss on this top-shelf release by darksynth’s newest recruit lest they want to miss some of the season’s heaviest singles.

Be sure to grab a digital download of the album, as it comes with a pdf and audiobook of the album’s story.

Favorite tracks : The Fear (feat.Magnavolt), Back to Sleep Again (feat. King Protea), Highrider (feat.DreamReaper)

Starfarer ‘The Dark’ is out now on Bandcamp and Spotify.

Baldocaster also manages to expand on those sounds, creating a truly delightful blend of analog synthwave that just bleeds absolutely pristine spacey synth sounds.

On the bandcamp page, Baldocaster explained that “Cult of Saturn” is a spiritual successor to his last EP “Solare.” Released along side Traveler CS’ “Exodus” in a rare double EP, “Solare” made it into our Top 10 Retrowave Albums of 2020 article as a very honorable mention. It should come as no surprise then, that “Cult of Saturn” is fantastic as well.

He also related a little bit about his creative process, stating that the album was run through analog tape – and the eye-popping list of analog synths he used to create “Cult of Saturn.”

“This album heavily employs the Sequential Prophet 5, as well as the Pro 3, Yamaha DX7, Moog Werkstatt-0̸1, Roland Juno 60, and Ensoniq ESQ-1” Good gear does not make a good artist, so it’s a good thing these iconic machines are in the careful hands of a true synthsmith like Baldocaster!

The album art from Brouemaster Visual Decay on “Cult of Saturn” is also truly awesome too. Overall it’s a fantastic package, and not one you want to miss if you’re a fan of the spacier side of synthwave.

Grab a listen here now!

Biosynthesis:
This next vibe starts off simple enough with a steady climb, but the more you listen the more details come to the surface. Laser beams and sci-fi themes showcase “Biosynthesis” as a track that I could easily place in Destiny, No Man’s Sky, or Mass Effect. The gentle cymbals and building tension prepare the suspenseful succession of chords, and the temptation to keep listening never ceases. As the song comes to an end, the distortion gravitates to the aesthetic that flows through the album. Earmake builds a universe around us that we can only hear but manage to see via imagination and intrigue; the major drivers in any album concept.

Synthetic Memory:
This tag-team album title is a collaboration between Earmake and Arwelone. This spectacular result of musical genius is an entanglement between the expanse of ambient middle-tone frequencies and the environmental feedback from the outer limits. We’re interrupted by the punchy kick of the drum and bass as it compliments the synthesizer. The serenity of the chimes, bells, and the echo of a tambourine create a fantastic flow. This entire track embodies a resonance of discovery because you can hear each instrument in and out of sync. The guitar presents itself but doesn’t have full control of the direction of the song. It intensifies beautifully, and unapologetically without overshadowing the rest of the instrumentals.

The Stone Giant:
Next on the collaborative, we have Dynatron alongside Earmake, and from what we know of both artists, we’re in for a ride. The trumpets resound the start of something epic on its way, and the synth gently follows their lead. A unified march matches the melodic opening. Nostalgic details captivate me and instill suspense. The Impactful percussion beats amplify the intensity and the colorful loop of keys coordinates alongside the kick drum. Towards the ending, there is an ominous intrusion of descending chords and dismal drums. “The Stone Giant” enraptures the listener to feel a warm fusion with the music, and I’d be out of my mind to deny it.

Waves:
The uplifting cascade of “Waves” is enthralling, to say the least. This duo between VHSToyko and Earmake is nothing short of a feel-good hit. If you need a track to listen to alongside your trip to Nirvana in space – here it is! I’m reminded of distant horizons as the synth serenades me into visualizations. I reminisce over glorious sunsets as a resident of Earth, however I find it easy to imagine scenes where the sun is coming up just behind an unknown planet. The whimsical bridge clashes dramatically with the drum, and my visualizations have evolved into floating along the vastness of space, admiring nebulae and red giants. 

Interplanetary Overdrive:
I know I’m not supposed to pick favorites, but I’m claiming it out loud anyway. “Interplanetary Overdrive” has everything a girl could want, speedy arpeggios, an aggressive kick, synthesized seduction, punchy beats, and these are all essential ingredients to a mind-blowing experience. We’re traveling at the speed of light, dodging asteroids, and what I could only describe as the “powering up” effect of the rise, has me tightening up internally as we go overdrive! I recommend listening to this on repeat. The celestial bodies across the expanse of time are merely blurs outside of the spacecraft as we’re traveling at light speed. The destination is unknown, but we’re landing in 3….2….1. 

The Signal:
We’ve made our way to a strange planet, and from what we know, we’re chasing after “The Signal”. Our sense of uncertainty and curiosity stirs as the bass writhes itself awake and the sound of the synthesizer fills our ears. It’s only a matter of time before the kick changes course, and the element of the chase unravels into a melodic ascent. Earmake channels the 80’s in a number of ways, but none of which overcome the overwhelming allure of synth keys, mechanical feedback, and the atmospheric immersion. 

Starlight:
Slightly similar to the latter track, “Starlight” serves to comfort the transition, while implementing more of that raw mechanical disarray. As the song progresses, the emotion escalates into an enigmatic arrangement. The chimes compliment the bells, the claps echo, and the body rolls with the beat. An eclipse of the ethereal chorus dislodges the sense of familiarity we had in the beginning, and it becomes an entity of its own. I’m loving how Earmake correlated the tracks as an extension of each other, complimenting this chaotic journey of imaginative space exploration.

Crepuscular Rays:
A piano arrangement in the middle of so much action can be a shock to the system. Dreams Beat as the co-star of this rhythmic epilogue is a serendipitous touch to the ending of this chapter. I’m dazzled by the dimensional co-creation of “Crepuscular Rays” because it’s the perfect ending credits arrangement. Together, the piano and the synth make use of the theme as the space dust settles on our minds. The percussion picks it up a notch, and the orchestral descent slows our heart rate as we listen to the lullaby of the smooth landing.

Immersion to the Unknown:
Earmake’s bonus track reminds me of that final scene after the credits when you get too comfortable with the ending. Y’know the one, when you see the villain survived or there’s another threat to humanity that is hiding in plain sight. There’s an ominous tension surrounding this track, and the drum beats and resounding echoes of steel pipes can’t help but intrigue me. What is the cliffhanger of Cosmic Hero 2, and what lies beneath the barriers of this fantasy? As fans, we’re always left in the dark of whatever stories surround the true meaning behind the music we hear

Cosmic Hero 2 is an incredible album. It plays on the nostalgic themes of 80’s science fiction films, subtle vibes from interstellar shoot-em-ups, complimented by our modern views of the universe, and what resides beyond our imagination. Whether we’re aware or not of what the meaning, direct reference, or obvious inclusion is – there is a level of awareness while listening to this album that resonates deeply with what we’re uncertain of. This album has atmosphere, attitude, and less of the typical, predictable paradox of what synthwave dilutes – a modern class of character that thrives off of the old without drowning out the new. 

It’s been 4 long years since Zombie Hyperdrive’s last fantastic release “Hyperion,” took listeners to the stars, and since then the ZH sound has only improved. Instantly grabbing you attention with well crafted synthesizers and wonderfully incorporated touches of 80s guitar synthmetal, this album slaps the ejector button before sending you into the void!

This album is more dynamic too, featuring an update in production and technical skill to, Zombie Hyperdrive’s signature blend of bass, radical 80s guitar and retro spacewave. From the chilled-out ‘Moon Girl’ to the down-tempo and cinematic ‘Old Earth’ to the intense boss fight riffs of ‘Refuse to Lose,’ “Imperium” takes you on a voyage through monumental space battles and beyond!

Grab a listen to “Imperium” here!

This album continues FacexHugger’s tradition of intense sci-fi based cinematic darksynth with a range of new synth sounds and a much more multifaceted feel, ramping up the scale on production and length to make “A L I E N A T E” perhaps his best work yet.

However, the true genius of “A L I E N A T E” lies within it’s context. The description on bandcamp says it all:
” This album is dedicated to my estranged daughter Haven.
These songs were made in a state of sorrow and hopelessness but the end result has been very cathartic. Parental alienation is a very real thing and it is currently what I’ve been going through. This music has helped me find the strength to fight back against it and not let myself succumb to what has been a very difficult situation.”

Truly, FacexHugger has taken raw emotion and, in a smelter of pain and creativity, reduced it down to a brilliant sonic essence. The hopelessness and despair on this album bleeds through true like a hand being placed upon a radio antennae to clear the signal. It feels personal because it is personal – and that is the very best we can ask of any artist.

Listen Here Now. 

Based in Calgary, Canada, Stilz began producing music in the early 00’s, mainly focusing on hip-hop. Then, in 2013 he made the switch to synthwave. His very first Bandcamp release was actually the first installment of “Hyperspace Drifter” back in 2014. (And his later album Judicator one of the first I reviewed for NRW!)

So much has changed since then – including the level of production from Stilz. While his albums have always been good, the past handful of his releases have begun to widen his sound with the addition of a more ambient, full bodied aesthetic and a sharper focus on production. This laser-polished feel is adamantly from the very first moments of “Hyperspace Drifter 3,” quite possibly his most refined sound yet.

An inspired mix of dreamwave, spacewave, and a hint of synthpop, this release also feels a bit more down-tempo than Stilz usual sound. The driving, intense darksynth and cyberpunk motifs have morphed into more of a feeling of dream-like awe and grandiosity. The tracks that are more upbeat have a certain groove and panache, almost bringing to mind a Com Truise-esque instant-classic vibe.

The best part of about the sound on this album is that in spite of ramping up the dreamwave and spacewave tonalities, this sound is still uniquely Stilz. With this caliber of work, we can’t wait to see what he produces next!

Top tracks: “Wavelength,” “Construct,” “Look Beyond,” and “Hyperspace Drifter 3”

Check out the full album here!