James Baker's Beautiful Rose

I've already mentioned in my recent review of MUSCLE's The Pump EP how the aspect of fun is so important to the 80s sound to me. That record was a great example of exactly that ideal. In a similar way the new James Baker EP does a similar thing with the wonderful 80s naïveté that so often captures my mind and heart with this music, a really honest and joyful aesthetic that I find hugely endearing but often seems to be misconstrued into cheese or chintz.

The whole concept of what I term 80s naïveté is the overt happiness that exudes through melodies and arrangements in a spectacularly prominent way. It's not dissimilar to how fun 80s music is, the power of this wonderful naïveté is not about its negative connotations of the dictionary definitions but more about the childlike wonder that is at the essence of much of original 80s synth music. Like an innocence or purity, the 80s naïveté is something very recognisable in the works of producers such as Plaisance, Sternrekorder, Alpha Boy, Smartech and, of course, James Baker.

My love affair with James Baker's music blossomed into a full crush with his amazing track Un Paradis Tropical, which is, to this day, still one of my absolute favourite pieces of music the 80s inspired synth scene has thus far produced. Now with James Baker's Rose EP we're treated to five gloriously sweet and light tracks of synth magic and his delicious, candy coloured music has become even more tantalising to the palette.


The slow moving romantic opening track, 'Papillons', sets an enchanting scene. Each instrument floats and dances in a purely shimmering spectacle of synth fantasy. The lead refrain is the essence of wonder with its part Never Ending Story and part Italo flavour that drips like honey into soda waterfalls in a pasture of lollypop grasses. The magic of the 80s is bottled and sealed in this track alone and a twist of the cap opens up waves of classic synth effervescence.

Things become even more intimate in the follow up 'Belle' which endeavours to fall head over heels into synth romance bliss. James Baker's understanding of 80s melodies combined with a superbly sound construction of his works make for just the right mix of classic sounds in new arrangements as the refrain crests and dives on waves of a pure azure waters bathed in warm, revitalising sunshine.

Next up is the James Baker anthem 'Summer of '83' which continues life on the warm sands of an idyllic coastal retreat. The slightly more disco ambience leads into some super rockin synth horns followed by a glorious homage to late 80s Eurobeat action. The seamless transition brings together different ages of electronic music flawlessly.

'Béton Rose' takes things into a more intimate direction with a new evening sultriness being draped seductively over the tropical aesthetic. Melodies whisper intimate narratives of love in an innocently delicate manner, poetic and carefree with the cool night breeze coming in off the sea. You place your sweater across her shoulders to keep warm and wish your arms were around her too.

James Baker takes a jazzier trip for the final track 'Femme Fatale' as an ever so slight hint of adult passions begin to colours the scene with vivid pinks and seductive reds. The lead refrain contains elements of smouldering longing while keeping things PG rated becomes a full time occupation. The rhythms become infectious and her cheek brushes past your lips in an electrifying sensation of an incredible new world we are but at the threshold of.

Future 80s Records presents James Baker's Rose EP on their Bandcamp page here and it is a release I have found to be wonderfully enchanting in so many aspects. The 80s naïveté is just so poignantly crafted into each of James Baker's compositions that I can't help but be transported into all new worlds, full of pastell and primary colours, gloss coated to a mirror reflection and completely delicious to taste. Synthetix.FM very, very highly recommends this release and I hope you too get to feel the magic that James Baker so eloquently composes into aural candy.

Synthetix Weekend Update

Only one week left to get in your submissions of the Synthetix.FM Rhythm Vivisection Halloween Mixtape! Be sure to get your darkest and most blood curdling synth jams to me over the next week, it's already looking fantastic with hot new tracks from Vincenzo Salvia, Denovomutans, MegaDrive, TSTR, Chaconne and Ilya Santana already in, amongst others. Drop me a line via the contact form if you've got something to add to terror!

Onto a new project now from Антон Лебедь and his studio Montana Games. Антон has begun to realise one of my dreams that I hoped someone would make real. His project is a new racing video game based on a graphics engine styled on gorgeous 80s wireframes. The video below conveys how beautiful this aesthetic is, and to have it as a playable game is going to rock even harder!



Антон is looking for producers willing to share their music for Glow Racing.  I'm sure you can imagine the absolutely sublime experience it will be for totally retro-futuristic immersion and Антон is hoping to release this on numerous formats and Synthetix.FM is getting behind it 1000%. If you can offer anything help aid him in making this a reality please contact him via email here.

I'm sure you'll agree, this is going to be an amazing interactive experience!!


Right on, time to get the new Synthetix Weekend Update rockin!


First up is a hot new jam from Fantastisizer. It's his first new track in a few months has certainly been worth the wait. 'Breaking Point' is darker piece that has some very interesting melodic structures and sounds, lending to it an otherworldly glow. Great to have Fantastisizer back and rockin the scene.




NFD Music's new track is a soundtrack synth composition which is going to be used as a accompaniment to a graphic novel he's also producing, which in itself is a very exciting premise. 'Jack Slade' has a moody build to it that rises like a storm. The adventure begins with this piece and I'm definitely looking forward to where NFD will take us. This track is currently available for FREE download.




A rip roaring new track from Future Holotape next. This synth pop experience is full of passion and fervour and absolutely stunning synth work. 'Cult Hallucinations' is dark in it's aspect but the synth melodies add gleaming lights and colours to the mix.




Something utterly epic now from the ever rad Photosynthesi. I wasn't sure where he was going with this new track's introductory passage but the build that follows leads into one of the most emotionally rich and rewarding pieces of lustrous synth romance of 2013. The echoing percussion and hypnotising melodies are overflowing with brilliantly realised sentiment in a narrative that is as vast as it is intimate. Stunningly beautiful.




Mitch Murder's video game soundtrack covers are always something special and he's really killed it on his latest FREE download track 'Mute City'. Yes, this is the soundtrack to the Mute City course from the classic SNES Mode7 racer F-Zero. The Mitch Murder magic is rockin all kinds of ways in this great re-imagining of a tune that is definitely one of my fondest video game racing tunes. Also be sure to pick up the new three track EP from Mitch Murder on his Bandcamp page here which contains his recent hits 'Killer Angels', 'Medley for Science' and new rocker 'Frame of Mind'.




Keeping the accelerator firmly planted is the new track from MoweLan 'Desert Drift'. There is a smooth elegance to this piece that is very engaging. The delicate nature of the melodies are underpinned by a powerful rhythm section. It's pace isn't high speed, but this is the ultimate slow motion replay accompaniment for any blazing fast motorsport.




The new track from Aysyne is dramatic OutRun styled affair titled 'New Action Hero'. The music geared for lots of dangerous action and thrilling scenes with killer orchestral stabs and catchy refrain that holds the narrative together. This is currently available for FREE download too.




One of the biggest journeys in 2013 has been Lazerhawk's Skull And Shark soundtrack for Dave Rapoza's new web comic. I've been ardently following it's progress and it excites me greatly to know that long wait is coming to an epic climax very, very soon. The new teaser Lazerhawk has shared may only be glimpses at the full experience, but I can guarantee it's going to be a monstrously vast release.




Going to the entire opposite end of the 80s inspired synth spectrum is the delightful new track from James Baker. 'When I See You' is brimming with glittering 80s synth naiveté that continues the feelings from the extremely awesome Un Paradis Tropical. I brings me great pleasure that James Baker has share these tracks, and seven more originals in his FREE album release available here. This is definitely something everyone should have in their 80s inspired synth music library.




Arne Ruudson is moving into the danger zone and high speed with his new rocker 'The Final Race'. Instruments are layered in with purpose and energies are focused to a pin point of searing synth power. I love the personality of this track as the sounds lend themselves to a videogame inspired tone that is full of retro charm.




80s Stallone is feeling the drama and passion in his new track 'Hold On'. I love 80s Stallone's dramatic pieces as they have such a triumphant spirit about them and this new track is no exception. The music is kept uncomplicated and has a great vocal track that fits in exceedingly well. This is available for download at a name-your-own-price point.



More action now, courtesy of Danger Mode and his new OutRun adventure 'Survivor'. Arrangements are engineered for huge excitement as modern and vintage flavours mix into one thrilling experience. The Danger Mode synthscape blooms into a spectacular new forms on this track and it's definitely one of my favourites from him.




One of the biggest songs of the week is definitely the new synth pop classic 'High School Love' by the combined talents of Sunglasses Kid and Miranda Carey. Once again Sunglasses Kid's understanding of how 80s pop music magic is created comes to delicious fruition as the scene's newest chanteuse rocks into glorious prominence. Totally rad and magical. Radgical? Yeah, that'll work.




The final part of this week's Weekend Update will be of no surprise to those who frequent the Synthetix Music Group on Facebook, where I originally shared this track as I couldn't contain my excitement upon initially experiencing it. This is a track by Adrien Aubrun & Thomas Trichet,  with the title of 'F40 1987'. Adrien contacted me with this and my mind was blown apart the instant I heard it. The emotional depth in the melodies as well as the dynamic production makes for some of the most wonderful music I've heard this year. I am floored by the beauty of this experience, and I've been informed that Adrien and Thomas are trying to do a full EP of 80s inspired synth music in the future.
For now, we have a true opus of what this music is all about, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.



That does us for another rockin Weekend Update on Synthetix.FM, I'll be back during the week with more good times and great rock'n'roll from the 80s inspired synth scene.

'Till then, stay 80s and keep on rockin.

Synthetix Weekend Update

This week's been exceptionally productive in the 80s inspired synth scene, it would seem that with the most 80s of holidays only a month away that producers are preparing for an onslaught of hot rockin tunes. Halloween on Synethix.FM will definitely be one to remember, but more on that in future posts.

Right now we have a huge amount of quality tunes to rock into, so lets take a trip into the past via the future with the new Synthetix Weekend Update!!

Aysyne's fast becoming a force to be reckoned with as each new track he shares expands his musical palette. On 'Ascend' we get to experience a stunningly beautiful lead melody that is given more weight with the dreamy synth accents. It's a joy to experience and is definitely one of Aysyne's strongest tracks.




Next up is a breezy new jam from Danger Mode, appropriately titled 'Timeless'.  Melodic exploration of passionate themes is the order of the day as synths are allowed to ebb and flow with subtlety and delight. This track is currently available for FREE download, many thanks to Vincenzo Salvia for sharing the hype on this one.




Grooveworthy is planning the launch of his Information Age EP in November and has shared a preview of the release. This should be a super exciting release as Grooveworthy's constantly pushing his own creativity and refining his sounds. The music featured includes the absolutely epic 'Information Superhighway' and is keeping the theme of 'emerging' internet technology as the theme. To get to know a bit more about Grooveworthy be sure to check out this week's episode of Beyond Synth that features an very entertaining interview with him here.




It was very interesting this week that two tracks found me that are very similar yet very different. Both are themed around the initial arcade game craze of the early 80s and are laced with samples and driving melodies. The first of these is 'VideoGameCraze', the first track to be shared publicly by Grand National. The soundscape is kept tight and on the minimalist end of the spectrum as news and game samples rock with the delightfully twee lead melody.




 Botnit's new track, 'Hi-Score' expands upon the theme further as the high energy OutRun music creates a great tension to the atmosphere. The sample usage also pushes towards these ends as the dark sides of the industry and addiction creep into the frame.  Both these tracks are kick arse in the own rights and make for a great double play experience.




Foreign Blade has graced us with a hot track this week that packs in the drama going by the name of 'Calling Mr. Big Shot'. Keeping things dark and brooding the music alludes to higher powers and glimmers of humanity amid the corporate back biting and hunger for power. This track is currently available for FREE download, so get it rockin as soon as possible.




Future City Records released a hot new three track EP by the rock hard Thunderclaw this week and it's definitely an experience in heavy handed radness. This Miami Vice themed experience combines high energy electro rockin action in strong doses. 'Recoleta' opens things up with smoothly ambient synths that are then blasted into sunset by high voltage electro passages. The combination typifies the contrasting nature of the Thunderclaw experience.

Moods shift darker and become more singularly minded with track two 'Castillo'. Haunting melodies fuelled with night time dangers and begin to choke with intensity. The Thunderclaw soundscape seems to be often pushed to breaking point to enhance the visceral nature of the narratives containing. The third chapter, 'Abel' is a fine example of this style of modern presentation with vintage music to allow for the contrast of beauty and brutality to co-exist in a timeless dimension.

You can pick up the B.A. EP from Thunderclaw through the link in the player below and I'd definitely encourage you to take a three part ride down the dark side of the Florida Key's with Thunderclaw at the helm.



Lets keep in the shadows of the night with the rockin new track from Professor Zonic Zynth and his latest work 'Doomsday MK-1'. The darker path is seldom travelled by the Professor but in this track he allows his synth funk to take on a nocturnal obeisance that is riveting and full of the dangers of the night.




When I go one about the stories and narratives in 80s inspired synth music this is a reflection on how the music evolves, draws you in and then takes you to new places and allows the experience to go beyond the more uniform structures of some electronic music. In RF Extreme's new track, 'Present Daze' we have a textbook example of the use of this kind of structure in an 80s presentation. The opening passages leads to a dramatic middle section before the enlightenment of the final climax. An incredibly beautiful example of quality craftsmanship in the synthient arts. Also be sure to check out a rockin interview RF Extreme has done this past week on Synth Waves here.




Lost Years is back and rockin the italo synth tones on his new gem 'The Kick'. Still in it's early stages of development this is certainly already hitting all the right notes for totally kick arse italo sounds. The pace is kept to a middling canter which allows for the huge percussive flourishes to really resonate for maximum effect.




Dance With The Dead are still yet to settle on the full track line up for their impending album due out this Halloween and with the quality of all the demo's they've been sharing of late it's going to be a hard job to select only one album's worth. Their new track 'Neon' takes on a far less dramatic tone than much of their previous outings, and has a touch of Arcade High about the lead melody that works beautifully well with Dance With The Dead's power house production.




PH Groove is heading for the gym with his new tune 'Legwarmers', and working up a sweat with hooky melodies and energetic arrangements. The PH Groove synth funk sounds are engineered for a more forthright disco flavour this time around and ventures into exciting new territories over it's epic near seven minutes. This track is currently available for FREE download, so make it a part of your work out as soon as you can.




Something a bit of out left field now with the stunning new song from Pistol Shrimp. 'This Moment' features AaronKnute and creates and incredibly beautiful vista of chill/dream wave synthscapes that swells with 80s love. The production is engineered for the perfect presence of each element and the vocal refrain is captured with much poignancy. This reminds me in parts of My Bloody Valentine and the Cocteau Twins, but with a more cinematic flair. It's definitely powered by energies I find much more engaging that a lot of the more sparsely arranged chill/dream wave songs I've heard and it's this huge wall of sound that is so totally enrapturing.




Hot on the heels of her VHS Dreams EP, Palisded has released a killer new synth experience this week called 'Lovestruck'. The bouncing bassline and minimalist melodies are complemented by a marching drum track that ties the experience together. The spatial nature of the synthscape is very engaging and the exploration of the melodies is wonderfully intimated. This track is currently available for FREE download, so get it while you can.




To finish of this week's Weekend Update we have something from the complete opposite end of the synth spectrum with a totally killer new tropical synth piece from James Baker titled 'Un Paradis Tropical'. I just can't get enough of this tune, it's gorgeous 80s naiveté and crisp synthscape is utterly joyous to behold. You can not help yourself but smile all the way through this track and thats one of the truly magical things about 80s inspired synth music. Totally k-rad to the max.



As James Baker's brilliance fades into the sunset it's time to say a bientot on Synthetix.FM for another week of rockin tunes and cosmic jams. I'll be back during the week ahead with more action from finest producers in 80s inspired synth music.

'Til then, stay 80s and keep on rockin.