Below is the list of our top 10 collaborations from this year from some of the best acts in the scene….

10. Dreamreaper & MAGNAVOLT – BLOODRAVE

9. Earmake & Stilz – Artifact Hunt

8. ALEX & Mono Memory – SOCIAL MEDIOCRITY

7. Futurecop! – Home (feat. Parallels)

6. Fury Weekend & Ollie Wride – Soul Survivor

5. All the Damn Vampires – I Can’t Go (feat. Mint Simon & Sunglasses Kid)

4. DRYVE – 80s Song (feat. Cassiopeia)

3. Josh Dally & Timecop1983 – Take Me Back

2. PYLOT – Invisible (feat. Ezra Hyte)

1. Miami Nights 1984 – Only When It’s Dark (feat. Gunship)

Running Late is out now via Bandcamp and Spotify.

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

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

10. Night of the Dark Prince by Jessie Frye

9. Youth by ALEX

8. Resurgence by Lyde

7. My Soul Burns As My Consciousness Is Uploaded Into The Virtual Afterlife by Trevor Something

6. Night Life by Sunglasses Kid

5. Nights by Droid Bishop

4. Ident by Baldocaster

3. Gradient Ultra by Makeup and Vanity Set

2. Pressure Point by Eagle Eyed Tiger

1.  Multiverse by Timecop1983

As with his debut record Graduation, the UK-based retrowave producer has once again delivered an all-killer-no-filler retro-pop classic that fill have you dancing as though your high-school crush just asked you on a date.

Sophomore (Album) by Sunglasses Kid

The album features a fair number of returning guests, including Miranda Carey, SJBRAVO and Phaserland as well as a number of great new additions to the Hellview sophomore class: Jay Diggs, Johnny Silva, Primo the Alien, Iverson, Megan McDuffy, Tim Capello, All the Damn Vampires, Pulsar.Sax and Ollie Wride.

So tune in, stretch out and let the groove move through you. You’ll be dancing like it’s prom night by the time the third track comes on.

Sophomore is out now on Bandcamp and Spotify via Aztec Records

Leake Streets’ brick-walled halls glowed with majestic, electric neon lights, paving the scenery with the perfect ambience to greet the fans and their colourful attires. Artists, staff and fans all mingled together and shared drinks throughout the night, whether it be at the bar, in the concert hall or at the popular cardboard arcade, and every square inch of the venue was filled with a palpable sense of love and passion, for a shared sense of nostalgia, for a past we may or may not have known. Those lucky enough to have wandered through the halls at the right time will have even run into a fully armed T-800 Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonator shouting classic Terminator catchphrases and posing for pictures alongside festival attendees, begging the question: what more could you want out of a Retro-themed music festival?

Presided over by emcee DJ She-Ra whose tireless work ran all throughout the night, the Synth marathon ran uninterrupted for twelve hours, from dusk till dawn. As any connoisseur would have guessed from the lineup announcements for the festival, RetroFuture Fest left no room for disappointment in its running order of artists. Whether you like your retro synth music funky, sparkly, epic, funky or downright pitch-dark, the festival had you covered and then some, featuring just about every type of lineup you could think of onstage. Amongst our top three personal favorites in the festivals’ flawless set of shows, Sunglasses Kid pumped the funky vibes up to critical levels with a set featuring guest vocalist SJBRAVO and dancer Jean Frais, Lebrock destroying the stage with some of the most epic vocal performances we’ve ever seen at a Synthwave festival, and Danger unleashing the nights’ monumental finale with the heaviest set of all.

Although this marked our first time as attendees, the loyal Retro Future fans were unanimous in their verdict; the festival had once again outdone itself with this third edition. As for us, we’re certainly looking forward to seeing how its organizers plan on following up on such a tour de force. Young though it may be, Retro Future Fest is already well on its way to becoming a landmark event in the Synthwave music scene.

See you next year!

All Photos by Robin Ono

All Rights Reserved.

More than a hefty lineup of talent, this latest edition of Retro Future Fest returns with a full convention-like experience. “There will also be gaming arcades, a food vendor, plenty of craft beer on tap, cosplay competitions and much more! For VIPs too there is a private bar and more live music. From 5 pm to 5 am, it’s pure synth heaven. We can’t wait for you to experience it.” Explains Secker.

Born from what was originally meant to be a small, one-off event, Retro Future Fest has come to expand into a household yearly event for Synthwave fans, rounding up some of the finest acts that the scene has to offer. Secker elaborates: “The scene has expanded massively with various styles. With hints of funk, metal, EDM, it’s an ever-changing scene. My goal is to create a line-up which everyone can enjoy with different variations in the scene. You are going to have a blast seeing what these acts bring to the table.”

More than a strictly Synthwave event, the festival is offering is reaching to represent a full spectrum of Retro culture in all of its shapes and forms, pushing the festival experience further beyond established bounds with each subsequent edition. “I want to give the people something that really blows minds. Every act will be completely different and unique. These artists all truly shine in their respected fields and on July 27th they will be unleashed upon London…”.

We can hardly wait. And we hope to see you there!

Retro Future Festival will be happening on July 27^th at 26 Leake Street, underneath Waterloo station.

Doors will open at 5pm.

Come say hi and party with us! We want to meet you!

Tickets are available here

Further Info :
Official Website
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter

Grab your tickets here now!

Grab your tickets here now!

Sunglasses Kid is a prolific UK based retro synth producer known for his collabs with Miranda Carey and Dana Jean Pheonix, and co-producing NINA’s 2016 EP. His signature style is the most sun-washed type of synthwave that would perfectly belong in 80’s teen/young adult movies.

It’s no coincidence that on Graduation, his debut LP, the intro track makes a jokey reference to the Principal Strickland from Back to the Future – the same kind of pep from the movie trilogy is present throughout the record. Sunglasses Kid can easily be considered one of the veterans of the scene so it comes as a surprise this is actually his first album (he did release a bunch of EPs before).

One standout thing about the album is the sheer number of guests: from Phaserland to D/A/D, almost every track is a collab. The tracks on the album are quite varied, with vocal tracks featuring (again) the likes of Miranda Carey taking turns with instrumental cuts full of retro verve. Indeed there is almost not one „downer“ track on the album (except maybe Runaway), which has the effect of every track sounding slightly similar.

But those looking for a slice of genuinely well-produced retro nostalgia without subversion or a lot of personal reinterpretation won’t mind. The record does provide a couple of moments that bring a smile to your face: one is the incredibly fun rap on the second track ’80’s Baby’ with Rhyme Time and Geneva referencing everything good about the decade that inspires us all.

Another one is the earworm-y ‘Can’t Hide’ with Carey on vocals with its killer hook in the chorus, while the standout track for me is Bitter Reaction. It manages to surprise with its really, really bubbly chorus that will inject a good dose of dopamine into your day, no matter how grey it was.

Unfortunately, despite the unquestionable musicianship and mad producer skills, compared to his contemporaries in the pop/dreamwave genre, such as Timecop 1983 or Satori in Bed, Sunglasses Kid doesn’t achieve something wholly of its own.

While Timecop 1983’s stripped compositions often teeter both on the bitter and sweet side, and Satori in Bed infuses his productions with enough of his own personality, Graduation doesn’t go that extra mile. As such, it’s a testament to Kid’s prowess behind the synth and the mixing knobs, but doesn’t provide enough material to call it exactly memorable.

Still, in times when optimistic and romantic synthwave is slightly given the back seat, it’s important to have someone representing it with a solid record. Anyone looking for a potent ride through the familiar 80’s retro tropes will enjoy this record a lot.

7.5/10
Filip Galetic

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Check out the Sunglasses Kid remix of Kap Slap‘s “Let It All Out” feat. Angelika Vee on Soundcloud. Please don’t forget to vote for it on the Wavo website by clicking here > bit.ly/LetItAllOut80s Takes just a few seconds!  Lets get this guy some MEGA votes!