Synthetix Weekend Update

As I alluded to last week Synthetix.FM is going to celebrate International Boombox day this coming July (Sunday the 20th to be exact) with a special Synthetix.FM Mixtape. This will be an annual event to complement Valentine's Day's Synthual Rendezvous, Halloween's Rhythm Vivisection and the year end Synthstravaganza Mixtapes and being the inaugural  edition I want to make it extra hard rockin.

Much like the Halloween and Valentine's Mixtapes I'm now taking submissions from producers to go into this mixtape. The theme for International Boombox day is going to be hot Electro Funk styled synth music, with an energetic flavour that is rockin the classic breakdance anthems of old. If you're not sure what this means here's a few classic examples of modern day electro rockin' action.

If you're still unclear please have a browse through my Electro Funk Top 10's for 2012 and 2013 in the year end Synthstravaganza posts on Synthetix.FM here and here. Please submit and of your own tracks via the contact form on the left hand side of this page. The music doesn't have to be brand new or exclusive, but I will prioritise tracks that are. Submissions will be taken from now until the cut off date which will be the 16th of July. I'm really looking forward to this new mixtape being a regular feature of the special edition Synthetix.FM Mixtapes and I'll be marketing it actively via the boombox collecting fraternities I'm an active member of throughout the internet, so your music will be being spread to all new demographics and is hopefully an excellent opportunity to increase your music's audience. Please feel free to contact me via the contact box on this page if you require any further information.


Time to get the throttle rockin into the danger zone with this week's AIRBORNE feature releases!

MOXX - Starcross 2001  Future 80s Records' have a hot new release on their hands with the new MOXX EP titled Starcross 2001. This four track affair offers some hear pumping OutRun styles along with more atmospheric arrangements. MOXX's sounds develop with a priority given to melodic exploration, which is really personified in the wonderfully vast 'Starcross City Overture'. MOXX even experiments in some classic 80s indie electro pop sounds on 'Sleipnir' which is totally rockin. There are a lot of great signs on this EP that MOXX has the talent and understanding of 80s sounds to garner a big following in the 80s inspired synth scene and I, for one, am greatly looking forward to hearing more MOXX rockin in the future.

Stellar Dreams - The Crusader The musical journey thus far for Malaysian duo known as Stellar Dreams has been interesting to say the least. These rockers have been changing the genetic make up of their music in nearly every release with some of their styles moving well away from the 80s based sounds but their new EP feels like it's taken a new and exciting turn. The Crusader takes the Stellar Dreams 80s sounds and gives it a harder tensile edge without sacrificing their magical melodies. 'High End' and 'Mileage' were definitely my two favourite pieces on this EP, ironically for very different reasons, but both create magnificent amounts of atmosphere. To round out the EP there are also two remixes of the title track, one being a funkier take from Kid Flash and the other being a  totally rockin 'Midnight Version' which really gives The Crusader an exciting new aesthetic.

Spacious Sweep - Escape From Reality Jerome Spacious Sweep is one of the hardest working producers in the 80s inspired synth world. Every week he's releasing new gems of vintage sounds and now he's getting around to packaging them into EPs for better distribution. His Escape From Reality EP is a nine track cavalcade of 80s synth sounds the move from dramatic atmospheric synthscapes into Italo and most everything in between. I absolutely adore the vintage naivete of Spacious Sweeps sounds and to be able get these delightful pieces as a free download is something most rockin. Stand out tracks on Escape From Reality: 'Divine Power', 'Tragic Memory', 'Difficult Recovery' and the absolutely kick arse title track. 

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One of the things that I've always loved about Robots With Rayguns' sound is that it  still sounds as fresh and individual as it did when I first experienced it four plus years ago. RWR is set to release a hot new album, which will be his third, in the near future and to promote it and finance the release he's made a deluxe edition of RWR available for preorder with a whole bunch of hot extra tracks. Preorder your copy of the RWR Deluxe Edition here and stay tuned to Synthetix.FM for more rockin Robots With Rayguns action when the new album comes out, but for now grab a copy of his stellar new version of 'Fever '14' with your preorder.

Lots of atmospheric pieces surfaced this week and Pablo Johnson (or Joey Mercedes, depending what you read) released a really impressive piece of ambient space synth music with his 2001 homage 'Daisy'. The journey is deep and full of enlightening passages, beautifully constructed from beginning to conclusion.




'Fields Of Time' is the latest exposition from Python Blue and continues his expansion into purely 80s thematics from his past soundtrack oriented roots. This combination of his passion for 80s sounds and his understanding of more atmospheric synthual pleasures creates yet another hugely entertaining experience. 'Fields Of Time' rocks, and is currently available for FREE download via the player.




Dakarius is back with a hot new track full of tension and delightfully vivid orchestral stabs titled 'Techno Criminal'. The Dakarius sound always feels like it's been stripped directly from an 80s or early 90s cyberpunk thriller and this is no exception. The blend of vintage sounds is wholly convincing and rockin to the max.




Station A3 is pushing to the limit on his latest inspirational synth piece 'Stay Positive'. The vibes are motivating and full of enthusiasm. This kind of 80s synth music is some of my favourite and it's great to hear Station A3 rock it so hard. If you need inspiration this week, 'Stay Positive' and crank up the volume!




Creating a very dramatic and totally rad mix of ChipTune sounds in a very 80s aesthetic is Occams Laser with 'Power'. This feels like it should be in a soundtrack to a fast paced heroic action game ala Strider or Cyber Lip and it's ChipTune pallet gives just the right nostalgic flavour to the kick arse progressions. Currently available for FREE download.




KFDDA keeps on rockin hard and his latest track is certainly no exception. 'After School Special - Cassette Rip' is full of bright and breezy synth melodies that are full of 80s homage. The chapters of this piece kick much arse as it winds down midpoint before coming back with an uptempo reprise. Be sure to grab a copy of this while can as a FREE download.




The tone of Night Invader's new track 'Brutal Tyranny' is what drew me in originally and then the atmosphere it built upon refused to let me go. The dark powers at work in this track are undeniable and full of menace. The drums are really pumping some major force but the guitars and synths really combine into a huge powerhouse of malevolence. Grab a copy for FREE download while you can.




Daniel Deluxe is cranking some bad juju this week as well with his darkly atmospheric track 'Wasteland'. There's a vague hint of rockin disco vibes permeating from the shadowy surrounds that proves very enticing and is explored beautifully throughout the piece. You can rock this killer track for FREE download currently too.




Offering up some very well constructed 80s inspired synth pop is Street Cleaner featuring Seanario  with their track 'Gasoline'. Theres a great deal of vintage homage spread thickly throughout this song, although I found the more modern introductory passages putting things slightly off kilter. Balance is achieved not long in however and the remainder of the experience is totally kick arse. You can pick up a copy of this song on the Modesto Synth Society Comp: Four for FREE on Bandcamp here.




One of the most awesome pieces of soundtrack synth I've heard of late comes from Destoroyah and his piece 'Welcome To The Future'. The presence is undeniable and vast, with so many nods to classic soundtracks included while creating its own identity. It is a breathtaking piece of music in every respect.




Some rockin new talent up next with Neon Suspects and his two track self titled release. Two completely different aesthetics are explored and both are rockin to the max. 'Cyber Cruiser' gets a building OutRun experience full of action and drama while 'Lady At Night' is an absolutely stunning work of delicately sensual and sultry synth romance. You can pick up this great little EP via the link in the player on Bandcamp.




Synthetix.FM favourite Sebastian Gampl is back with another hot track that I simply can't resist covering this week. 'Doogie's Theme' is rockin to the max with stunning synth melodies and 80s charm that is completely contagious. This producer gets so much right with 80s inspired synth music that it's impossible to fault. Rock it.




17 Lion Tears, or Olivier PG has just unleashed some serious sax synth magic with his new track 'Shower Of Melodies' or possibly 'The Rain Of Your Love'. In all honesty I find it hard to keep track of this producer's title and track names but all that matters is this music is stunning. The emotional depth of this piece is really lovely with an intimate tone that is full of affection. The extended outro is completes the experience beautifully.





What's the definition of a winning combination? Lazerhawk and Neros77 is certainly a strong contender for it, that's for sure. It seems Lazerhawk's music always brings out the more creative side of Neros77's video creations and his latest work for 'Chaos' is certainly bringing new dimensions to Neros77's techniques. Using footage from the relatively obscure 80s fantasy epic The Devil's Sword allows for some very, very impressive blending of audio visual entertainment.



That does us for another Weekend Update on Synthetix.FM. Kasia and myself will be back during the week with more rockin tunes from the 80s inspired synth scene.

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

Synthetix Weekend Update

Another week full of rockin action rolls around and it's time for another big Weekend Update on Synthetix.FM.

The more astute readers of the site may notice a new addition to the left hand side bar on the page. This new addition is a PayPal Donate button I've added to the site. Over the last couple of years numerous people have said they'd like to support Synthetix.FM more and would like to help out with the costs. There are very few costs associated with Synthetix.FM besides my own time but I wanted to give people the opportunity to help out with the hosting/domain costs if they'd like to. I'm not begging for money, nor does the future of the site depend on donations, I just thought it'd be an option for those of you out there who'd like to take your support of this site further.

Next week marks Valentines Day's on Friday the 14th and Synthetix.FM is getting into the spirit of this most emotional and passionate holiday with special celebration. It's all being kept under wraps in a heart shaped box, tied up with big satin ribbons right now but come Thursday next week there'll be something special on here to ensure no one misses out on feeling the love this Valentine's Day.

On to this week's Weekend Update on Synthetix.FM!

Let's open up with the hot new EP from Arc Neon: Technicolor Workout. This much anticipated releases from one of my favourite UK purveyors of quality 80s sounds has arrived and is surprising, refreshing and most importantly, rockin to the max! The six tracks (including an intro piece and instrumental version of 'Heat Of The Night') takes much of what we've grown to know and love about the Arc Neon sound and expands it out into all new dimensions.

Technicolor Workout opens with 'Heat Of The Night' which to me feels like an evolutionary next step and also homage to Arc Neon's classic 'Night Heat' track. The vocals from Dana Jean Phoenix are performed with a sultry longing that compliments the mood of the track perfectly and the inclusions of guitar and sax through the different stages really add a huge amount of presence to the Arc Neon sound. Definitely one of the group's most developed and complete experiences.

'Aerobicide' takes a different approach with rocks more guitars and some totally killer 'plinky plonky' synth melodies to take your workout into dangerous levels of exertion. This track is a great exploration of the melodies while make sure the energies are frenetic and vital. Conversely, the next track, titled 'Forbidden Dance' winds things back to a slower pace that allows the guitars to soar instead of shred and the more soundtrack oriented Arc Neon elements to come into focus. Once again, the sax in the final act of this composition elevates it beautifully.

The title track is another collaborative work, this time with Abbey Bretts performing the vocals. Melodically this adds an Italo Disco flavour to Arc Neon's sound and the repeated vocal refrain adds just enough modernity to the atmosphere. The songwriting of Arc Neon has most definitely been refined and the structures keep the hooks rockin and the moods intimate. The final piece of the EP is an inclusion of 'Heat Of The Night' as an instrumental, I personally prefer the vocal version, but this affords the listener to fully realise the the lustrous synthscapes.

Technicolor Workout displays a marked growth in all facets of the Arc Neon experience and Synthetix.FM very highly recommends this release. You can pick up a copy via their Bandcamp page here.


Let's keep the rockin rollin with great new piece from ForeignBlade. Although made last year, he's just released this gem while still working on a new EP. 'Extraordinary Circumstances' is a marvellously structured soundtrack styled affair that enthrals from beginning to end. This is currently available for FREE download too.




New Spacious Sweep next with his latest 'Backtrack'. The mood of this track is laid back and mellow yet the melodic layers add beautiful Italo flavoured details. Haunting elements through the midsection complete the experience. This is intended to be included on his upcoming new EP.




Pyramid Aeon is a new rocker on the 80s inspired synth scene and his latest track really grabbed my attention. 'Stay' contains a wonderfully vivid vitality that drives the lead melody and is backed by dreamy haze delightful 80s nuance. Though he's still finding his sound, Pyramid Aeon is definitely a producer to watch for, be sure you grab a copy of 'Stay' while it's up for FREE download. Many thanks to John Littlefield for enlightening me to this producer's existence.




Cut from a similar cloth to some of my favourite work by Starcadian is the rockin new retro styled funk jam from Atrey: 'Guilty Pleasure'. The horns and vocals create a spectacular 80s homage to the modern chopped up melodies while the mid point breakdown provides some stellar expositions between passages. You can pick up a copy of 'Guilty Pleasure' via Atrey's Bandcamp page here, I hope that you do and rock this track loud and often!




Germany's Blokkmonsta continues to explore his 80s passions, this time featuring Italy's favourite synthsation Vincenzo Salvia. 'Human Destiny' is yet another wonderfully realised soundtrack piece that summons all kinds of wonderful visions and possibilities. Also of note, on Blokkmonsta's soundcloud bio it mentions he has the record for being Germany's Rapper & Producer with the highest count of banned CD's nationwide. After witnessing such beauty and sensitivity in his recent pieces I can't wait to see what he comes up with when he really lets fly!




Manolis continues to be one of my favourite new producers in the 80s inspired synth scene and his melodies and productions always have an air of perfect 80s understanding. His 'Escape Vacations' piece ventures into a bit of Library territory with its catchy hooks and explosive percussion. He also released another great track this week in 'My Future Girlfriend' which is a sumptuously smooth track that builds to an absolutely stunning melodic adventure. Both are available for FREE download so please give this producer some love and appreciation.




Speaking of sumptuous synth, 'The Seven Sunset Ride' by Olivier P.G. via The Music Is Vast is an incredibly authentic soundtrack love theme that does everything absolutely right. The languid pace, the heartfelt melodies, the synths, the guitars, the sax, it's all here and it's all 100% magical. Stunning work. Thanks to Sunglasses Kid for letting me know of this totally rockin producer.




Mitch Murder's really ramping up the releases of late and his new track shared this week is one of his most exciting in recent times in my opinion. 'The Final Stretch' is built on a selection of melodies that are both triumphant and catchy as hell. Mitch Murder works magical elements into his trademark styles as more of a secondary concern this time around so that melodic power always retains it's focus. Solid gold rockin and rich in all my favourite aspects that make this artist so very, very rad.




Our next piece is one I review with a heavy heart, but still with hope for the future. The Azure Crime project is unfortunately over before it really began. Citing major health issues this producer has taken his leave of music production after releasing a handful of tracks that are truly kick arse. For now though, we have to wish Azure Crime all the best and a speedy recovery so he can keep on rockin. His farewell release, The End Of Crime is four previously unreleased tracks that span many 80s inspirations and are full of emotional investment and much musical prowess.

Opening up with 'Particles' we're greeted by an expanding vista of city lights and slow burning melodies introduced like clouded phantoms into the mix. The spectral melodies rise and fall in the night sky and each new chapter carries them higher and further. 'Polvo De Angel' then turn the scene into more passionate arrangements, energised with pounding drums and dramatic chords. Azure Crime verges on OutRun in this piece with it's twists and turns, but he retains an intimacy through the synthscape that prevents the high speed chase from going off the rails. By the time the guitars crunch into view the path ahead becomes a minefield of dangerous curves and high risk maneuvers.

The redlining melodies are exchanged for a romantic interlude in the home room affair 'Highschool Love'. Aurally delicate feelings create much electricity and lead to heart racing moments of sax filled delirium. Guitars swoon and fall under the romantic spell of the piano melodies, completing the warm, impassioned embrace. Harpsichords of eternal damnation usher the fourth chapter of the EP as blackened skies burst and a rain that doesn't cleanse begins to fall. 'Nightmare' is onyx black dark synth, with a threatening bassline and chilling melodies. Choked passages from which there is no escape ensure your nightmare will last long after the dawn.

It's a testament to Azure Crime's talent that all four tracks are hugely different yet all display a great understanding of what makes these genres rock. I do hope we get to hear more from Azure Crime at some stage, but for now we must bid adieu to Azure Crime. Be sure to pick up these totally rockin tracks on his Bandcamp page here and though it's a name-your-own-price point please dig deep to show your appreciation. Our hearts go with you, Azure Crime, you'll never be alone. Keep on rockin, brother!



Robot Outro has been sharing his take on 80s sounds for the last year and his new track, 'The Lost Tape' is a marvellous homage to early 80s euro synth pop. The mechanically discordant intro leads into a pulsing refrain that harkens back to the glory days when these musical vistas were still brand new. I keep expecting to hear a terse female vocal doing some spoken word in German over the top of this track. Great work from Robot Outro!





Palm Highway Chase has been one of my favourite producers in 80s styled synth music since I first discovered it and it gives me great excitement to see a full new album from this visionary producer is due out very soon on Rosso Corsa Records! The teaser for this record is packed with incredible diverse sounds and imaginative compositions, I can't wait for the full experience. And that won't be long with the release date being the 10th of February, which is tomorrow!




The smooth and ambient soundtrack synth music has been really prolific this week, and the latest track from Bluezz Vylez continues the theme. 'Secret Feeling' is ethereally composed with glacially beautiful progressions that are accented by serenely implemented sax magic. This track is currently available for FREE download too. For more Bluezz Vylez rockin check out his hot Flash Over Craters EP that was released last year while Synthetix.FM was on vacation. It's full of atmospheric synth jams that take the Bluezz Vylez sounds into more experimental directions.




Our final piece to start getting you in the mood for Valentine's Day is a great video from Parlous for his track 'Softcore'. Featuring some salaciously sexy synth work and a huge amount of equally arousing video clips this is sure to get your pulse racing. A warning/recommendation: theres lots of nudity!


Softcore from Parlous on Vimeo.


That does us for another Weekend Update on Synthetix.FM, I'll be back during the week with more hot tunes from the 80s inspired synth scene. 'Til then, stay 80s and keep on rockin.