synthfunk – NewRetroWave – Stay Retro! | Live The 80's Dream!

Damokles – Hyperwave

Andrew Zistler — Wed, 13 May 2020 16:45:59 +0000

The Swedish synthfunk extraordinaire Damokles is out now with this latest EP – “Hyperwave!”

Damokles is known for his extremely authentic style – having been creating synth music since back in the 80’s. This EP takes an interesting spin on that uniquely authentic Damokles sound, showcasing his groovy range.

“Hyperwave” swings from heavy backing beats injected with high-octane sci-fi synth with ‘Many Lightyears Away’ to the romantic and lachrymose ‘Empty Streets’ tracks with ease – all the while still retaining that beautifully crafted funk.

Several of the tracks also contain vocals – but realizing many in the synth community aren’t fans of vocals – each EP download also comes with instrumental versions of the tracks.

Check it out here now!

OSC – Ideality

Andrew Zistler — Wed, 29 Jan 2020 16:15:15 +0000

After the release of Vapor Session 1 and 2, Opus Science Collective released yet another fantastic album, “Ideality” last November. The funky fresh synth sound of “Ideality” was just too good not to feature so we’re tackling it now after our break.

Coming straight from Brighton in the UK, OSC’s latest is filled with very authentic yet fresh sounding retro tones – expertly mixing funk, synth, and newjazz with just a hint of electro and vapor to create an inspiring new retro sound. “Ideality” is a delightful release anchored solidly in funk territory – an avenue of synthwave that is sorely under-explored.

Check it out now here on My Pet Flamingo!

SID64 – Sunset Waves

Joey Edsall — Thu, 15 Dec 2016 19:49:53 +0000

One of the most interesting things about synthwave as a genre is the way in which an artist’s unique experiences manifest in their music. It’s always immediately clear, for example, if an artist has experience in metal music or with scoring films. Certain traits appear in the songs. For SID64, that prior experience is interesting. Mastering tracks professionally at Preference Mastering, it’s clear that Charles Michaud had the endpoint of each song in mind as we wrote, recorded, and mixed the eight tracks on his EP Sunset Waves.

It’s difficult picking the best part of this release beyond saying “the first four tracks”. “Not A Dream” opens the album with a pulsing and deceptively interesting beat. It seems initially like a standard four-on-the-floor kick pattern with snares on every other beat, but there are sounds buried in the mix the enrich every aspect of the song. The song is an excellent representation of SID64’s skill in trading off between melodies. The main melodic hook of the song doesn’t last an entire measure and let’s the pulse of the bassline shine for just the right amount of time before adding another melody to trade off with. The second melody uses this extremely funky synth that pops up throughout the album and is one of the best aspects of the release, as well as one of its most defining characteristics.

Spoken word can be something of a mixed bag in synthwave, but the latter half of “A Message For You” uses it to tremendous effect. The majority of vocal synthwave is in English, and so when you hear the French plea of “Pourquoi?” in the song, it is refreshing and unlike much of the scene. Groove is added to the upbeat “Xpand at Night” that follows. If pressed, I would say it is the best song the album was the offer. There isn’t a single moment in the song that isn’t catchy and it just feels like a song where everything is exactly where it belongs, both compositionally and sonically. “My Dream With Tangerines” has the same upbeat groove and cohesive nature. There is always something strange and pleasant happening to latch onto, and the less-than-subtle reference to the influential electronic group Tangerine Dream is appreciated, as I believe our scene owes a lot to them.

“Gym O’Clock” transitions the album toward its conclusion. It’s full of positive energy and highly rhythmic bass fills. It occupies a space that feels like an intersection of Green Hill Zone and Interstellar 5555. “The Lost Theme” is the best song on the back half of the album and is the perfect choice for a closer. It has the same perfectly complementary melodies, subtle deviations from rhythmic expectations, funky synth, and upbeat mood that makes the best parts of this EP so good. It feels like a synthwave version of James Ferraro’s “Linden Dollars” with its unrelenting hooks and manic energy. It ends way faster than you might expect and makes three minutes feel like thirty seconds.

Sunset Waves by SID64

It’s worth noting that the CD is going to include some different mixes and completely different mastering than the digital release. SID64 states, “The music won’t be leveled to what you find in digital platform today and the audio spectrum will be closer to what we used to hear in the 80’s.” It’s going to be interesting to see how these great songs translate to a different mix.

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Scandroid – Self-Titled

Joey Edsall — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 14:22:51 +0000

It’s obvious within the first few minutes of Scandroid’s eponymous debut to realize that this album is from a higher league. The John Carpenter-esque commitment to atmosphere combines effortlessly with strong melodies, squelching bass synths, and vocoder vocal lines that are equal parts cool and camp. “2517” works as a solid blueprint for the rest of the album, albeit one that is not followed to a T. The significantly more upbeat “Salvation Code” follows, and this is where the Detroit-based artist truly hits his stride. This is a song constructed almost entirely of hooks, with every element seemingly designed to be an earworm. The vocoder-laced vocals work even better on this track, as the intensity of the effect fluctuates throughout the song. Overall, it is a definite highlight of the album and is certainly a contender for the best vocal synthwave track of the year. The female backing vocals mixing with the primary vocal track and the occasional glitch-effect push this song to the level that resides.

Scandroid’s cover of Tears For Fear’s seminal hit “Shout” is another high point. It doesn’t deviate much from the original, and the vocals even sound uncannily similar to Roland Orzabal’s vocals on the original. The percussion at various points in the song is interesting enough to warrant the song’s appearance on the album. The following song, “Destination Unknown”, is the second best track on the album. It is one of the rare occasions where a song uses a traditional 4/4 time signature but sounds like it doesn’t. I listened to the intro melody about a dozen times before listening to the entire song through just to try to make sense of it. It has the arcane quality of Mike Oldfield’s “Tubular Bells pt. 1” (the Exorcist film theme) without actually resorting to 15/8. It’s a very progressive song.

There is a wealth of campiness in many of these songs – especially the vocal tracks. Some of this comes from the lyrics, which play heavily into the science-fiction fringes of the scene, but there is also some found in the music. Nothing ever sounds hokey, and the songs are stuffed with melody, but some listeners may be turned off by the tongue-in-cheek feel that some parts of the album have. Those that like it will love it, as there is rarely a moment that isn’t fun or interesting in some way.

There is also a real sense of urgency permeating through the album. There may be a focus on the atmosphere in many of the intros and bridges, but the songs refuse to sit in the background of anything. They are mixed well and hit hard throughout. The vocal tracks generally are stronger than the instrumentals, and when they really click it makes the entire track that much more intense. Effects on the vocals will often increase in intensity as the emotional delivery increases, leading to some great instances of controlled chaos. The instrumentals are not bad by any stretch of the imagination, no matter what moniker he produces under, Scandroid / Klayton / Celldweller is an accomplished producer who is clearly at the top of his game. It plays within the genre enough to seem familiar and not off-putting but has a true wealth of idiosyncrasies that push the album into the realm of being something special.

Scandroid by Scandroid

COMMUNITY REVIEWS

Damokles – Bring Out The Funk

Andrew Zistler — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 12:21:49 +0000

Swedish sensation Damokles, a.k.a. Anders Ekström, is blasting back from the past with his newest EP, “Bring Out The Funk.” This collection of tracks looms like a groovy sword – waiting to grace your ears and overturn your ideas of what synthwave can be.

“Bring Out The Funk” is an inspired mix of synth, pop and funk which manages to stay fresh and original in a soundscape of synth music too often overburdened by repetitive tropes and robotic quantization. This should come as no surprise as Damokles has been mixing and producing music since the golden ages of the 70’s and 80’s.

That native sound is what makes this EP feel different – Damokles offers up an authentic take on retrofunk, blending the new age technology of DAWs with lived-in retro experience. In short, “Bring Out The Funk” manages to seamlessly blend synthwave, funk and disco into a smooth and sexy package of informed nostalgia ready for enjoyment.

COMMUNITY RATINGS

NEWS JUST IN! – BEVERLY GIRLS CHANGE THEIR NAME

NewRetroWave — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 00:41:00 +0000

YES…IT IS TRUE

THE WONDROUS VOICES THAT BROUGHT YOU “MOVE ON” HAVE COME TO A NEW PATH.

LUCKILY THE NAME CHANGE IS VERY SUBTLE ……THE GIRLS HAVE DECIDED TO GO FROM “BEVERLY GIRLS” TO…

“BEVERLY GIRL”

ENJOY SOME RETRO FUNK FROM 2011

BEVERLY GIRL…. WE LOVE YOU!

NRW