AIRBORNE

By Rick Shithouse


Sunset 23 - Chrome, Palm, Drive EP



I featured one of Sunset 23's tracks off his first EP on Quality Time With Shithouse a few weeks ago, but the rest of the EP is also something worth exploring too. This producer's first foray into 80s sounds does a great job of covering different themes and moods over the four tracks and doesn't become formulaic, which is often something I find in debut EP's.

Creating a moody night time atmosphere in 'It's OK' we get breezy synths that cool things down to a sultry tone. The leads are something that really had me with Sunset 23 and his leads on synths and guitars are a huge draw, adding much energy and colour. The highlight of the EP is still, definitely, the title track with its big hooks and heavily flaunted 80s love, but 'No Rush' still has a lot to say and moves into a laid back night mode that rings with disco guitars and sweetly tuned accents on the melody. The final track, '10,000 Hours' keeps things chill and brings in some more tropical elements that flicker in beach side torches amid the fruity and fresh seaside night.

It's great to hear a debut EP that experiments more with atmosphere than energy and Sunset 23 will be someone whom I'll be following closely along his 80 synth journey. Pick up a copy of Chrome, Palm, Drive on his Bandcamp page here.




Oedo - Panic



Oedo's new EP is great little exponent of creating music channelled by direct inspirations for the first two tracks and then taking on a more experimental approach for the last two pieces. The overriding theme of 'Panic' is very well represented as a driving theme through all of them however.

Opening with the Terminator inspired 'Killing Machines' Oedo's choice of sample is spectacularly implemented and refreshing as Michael Biehn's Kyle Reese gives Dr Silberman an earful of classic dialogue. It's such a great scene that it really surprises me it's never been used before in 80s inspired synth (to my knowledge). The energy of the music stays surprisingly under control though and doesn't get nearly as explosive as Biehn, but it's the mechanical, unstoppable and deliberate pace that captures the Terminator's spirit so well.

The second track is from another 80s favourite, this time going directly to Saturday Morning Cartoon magic with Jayce And The Wheeled Warriors. This series (which I'm currently enjoying) has a spectacular soundtrack and Oedo's done a very nice job indeed of capturing the wonder and adventure of the series in 'Monster Minds'. It evolves effortlessly and brings in some totally rockin bassline progressions that will definitely have you yearning for the Lightning League.

'Halo Funk' finds Oedo going on a journey into the the unknown across a near eight minute groove that stays ambient, although doesn't stay in an 80s galaxy and feels more 90s in flavour for much of it. Parts of it remind me of the 80s Twilight Zone series music too, but I found myself longing for more vintage sounds.  'Warehouse' treads a similar path as the off kilter melodies echo around a darkened spaces and have you peering into the shadows to make out the shapes. The tweaking to the bass melody definitely has a more 90s edge to it but there's a great vibe of early 90s budget sci fi movies which certainly appeals to me. Get a copy of Oedo's 'Panic' EP via his Bandcamp page here.




Deck Rickard - Nigth City Dreams EP



I thought the days of reversing the first letters or syllables of famous 80s names was over, which I was a bit disappointed in as there were so many great names that came out of the last few years (where's some new Rolly Mingwald music?), I was always hoping for more of these amusing combinations. Thankfully, Deck Rickard is here to save us as he goes replicant hunting all over the goddamned show with his debut EP Night City Dreams.

After greatly enjoying his 'Vector Skyline ' track on the latest Future City Records Compilation I was very interested to hear what he could come up with in his own release. The Deck Rickard sound has a definite atmosphere to it which he adheres to in all four chapters of the EP. The sound has a dreamlike ambiance to it and allows his melodies to really drift into each other and rarely become a driving focus for the music. The layering of his synths is what really shines and the balance he controls through all the scenarios is highly engaging. The gauzy feel he brings to the elements captures that Blade Runner climate where everything feels like it's shot through moisture of some description.

'NCPD Pursuit' brings a more focused culmination to the story as the drama is great cranked up and the melody becomes sharply honed and invigoratingly dangerous, while the final track 'Neon Highway' tells a hybrid story that has bright details yet recedes into hazy structures that give an inquisitive ambiguousness to the story in a beautifully satisfying manner. Deck Rickard's debut EP promises much, and delivers enough to tell you a very engaging story yet I still think the best is very much yet to come from this rockin new producer. Get a copy of Night City Dreams on Future City Records Bandcamp page here.




Thomas Barrandon - OST



Thomas Barrandon has been a Synthetix.FM favourite for many years now and his work has always been an exemplary display of 80s homage. Gravitating more towards the soundtrack ends of the spectrum Barrandon's recent outing is a five track accompaniment to the Ninja Eliminator 4: The French Connection project. Although I'm unsure as to whether all these tracks on OST are from this production I've not seen anything to say they aren't and I can't find the movie to watch anywhere to prove/disprove this (but you should check Le Matos rockin Ninja Eliminator I & II here to get an idea of what you're in for).

Back to this EP and Barrandon's created two monstrously epic and atmospheric opening pieces in 'Abri 17' and 'RAM'. The former sets a massive amount of foreboding that builds to fever pitch halfway through 'RAM' when the climax builds beyond its epicentre and into a lush dimension of 80s synth magic. This continues through the more acoustically textured 'Hero' as Barrandon explores deeper tones and more modern ideas during its evolution.

This brings us to the last two tracks, and these two tracks are absolutely stunning examples of Barrandon's 80s love and musical talents. Sprawling pieces that illustrate incredible dexterity and rock like you wouldn't believe. Simply put, 'Ninja Eliminator 4 - The French Connection' and 'Feed To Kill' are killer cuts that give you everything and 80s inspired synth fan craves. These two tracks alone warrant immediate purchase, classic Barrandon rockin harder than melonfarmer.

OST is presented on Thomas Barrandon's Bandcamp page here and not checking it out immediately is doing yourself a huge disservice.

AIRBORNE

Liege Viper - Power Of The Interceptor
By Rick Shithouse



Liege Viper is ready to rock with his debut release on Werkstatt Recordings and Power Of The Interceptor is set to explode into a frenetic electro oblivion! The Liege Viper synthscape proves to be an intriguing mix of aggressive electro and OutRun that feels just right and then moves into less threatening movements through the back end of the EP.

The harder edge of the synths that feel raw and ragged at times (in a good way!) is then complimented by compounding percussion. The sound is very early 80s European without drifting too far into EBM territory while retaining a panicked energy throughout the melodies. His more mellow pieces take on a warm charm due to the uncluttered nature of his sound, which takes the listener into safer, calmer waters later in the EP.

The three tracks on the first half of the EP are constantly on the verge of collapse as the synths race up a mountain incline to an unreachable summit while the road behind them crumbles into an abyss below. The energy pushes the music into a frenzy of split second decisions the prolong life for more precious seconds.

The all out red-alert tracks set fire to first half the EP are then tempered by the second half of Power Of Interceptor as Liege Viper dials down the turbulence and explores a delightfully more whimsical style of 80s sounds. The uncomplicated synthscape lends itself beautifully to these pieces and gives the release a marvellous sense balance. I especially enjoyed the final near seven minute epic that really conveyed a sense of accomplishment and completion of the EP's moods and journeys.

Power Of The Interceptor's highlights for me were definitely the title track, 'Eyes Of The Future' and sprawlingly epic 'Last Sundown' but each track on the EP has its own story to tell and does so very well. Liege Viper's debut is definitely strong and has a personality to the sounds that is individual while being able to use his sound in very different ways to create starkly different results. Werkstatt Recordings presents this killer EP on their Bandcamp page here in digital formats (as well as CD digipak and limited edition cassette) and is release that promises and delivers exciting and involving 80s inspired synth action that comes in equal measures from the head and the heart.




Dallas Campbell - Pagoda
By Matthew Neophytou



Straight out of West Virginia, US of A comes Dallas Campbell’s Pagoda an EP musical journey of melodies, synths and stuff. Explained by Dallas as an experiment taking less than a month to complete utilizing only three synths, wait till you see his next feet; the worlds first synth automated space airplane flight mission. The last one is not true, but after Pagoda I really do want to book that flight.

Introducing us to the nature of the EP itself  'Spice' feels like a bowl of mixed sounds kept together with an almost trance bordering sound. 'Parchment' belongs in a trailer for a really surreal video game, something like NiGHTS Into Dreams (remember that?), an uplifting piece of music this one is.

Ending the EP we are given the track 'Gold' to bring on the chill vibes, a retro inspired moog-y introspective fills my head as I fade away deep into the track, really take this one in, it’s a good one.

Dallas Campbell's Pagoda EP is one for those who like variety in their synthwave journey and very highly recommended from Synthetix.FM and is available on various digital formats on his Bandcamp page here. Also if you dig the album cover art it was done by Geoff Hoskinsin check out his stuff on his tumblr here.

Oedo - Reaktive
By Rick Shithouse



New rocker on the block Oedo has arrived with his hot new EP: Reaktive. Merging lines betwixt all manner of electronic influences Oedo is always moving into the dramatic and casts all manner arcane spells over his synthual experiences.

Though driven by 80s motives there are tactile elements of hip hop beats and experimental 90s sounds stirred through the synthscape. The structures are often quick glimpses at ideas that flash in and out of visibility but are always punctuated in a way that hits hard.

The four tracks included on Reaktive all are distant cousins from each other as their ideas and textures as heavily individualised. The opening track's bludgeoning bassline and ghostly melodies leads into more inquiring passages with 'Troma'. There are times that the tracks drift out of focus and meander but Reaktive brings things back sharply on most occasions and the stories never become mired or lost.

Standing out from the four pieces are definitely 'Troma' and 'Narly', which are easily the most 80s dominated pieces and is the direction I hope Oedo delves further into.

The Reaktive EP by Oedo actually feels Japanese in many respects and this Cork based producer obviously has a spiritual connection to the East, particularly its early 90s cyberpunk palette which he often wrangles successfully into more traditional 80s ideas. The EP is available on his Bandcamp page here and is definitely worth taking high speed trip down those gangland controlled highways of Neo Tokyo for. Post apocalypse, natch.




Clinton Affair – End of History
By Matthew Neophytou


Clinton Affair – End of History is an awesome love letter of an era gone by, the whole EP is seeping with old school sounds, its as though these tracks could easily be stripped down to be intros for retro tv shows.

We are given the minimum length of music here with the longest track being 'Singularity' which has a cool reggae-ish beat happening. Can you guess where the beat and vocal sample comes from? “Why?” should be a dead give away.

Opener 'Aquamarine' brings the hip thrust straight away, with it’s 90’s mishmash WHAM vocal style. Slowing it down ever so slightly is 'Be Mine' a swoon of a song reminiscent of a Peabo Bryson ballad remixed. Sidebar, How come no one has remixed Peabo, much potential to be had there. I pretty much love 'Birthday' as it could be the music an 80’s South African singer called Brenda Fassie could have made.

Future City Records (yay!) Presents Clinton Affair – End Of History EP and comes highly recommended from Synthetix.FM, only fault I can find is that its over too soon.  Check out this great release on Bandcamp right here where the EP can be downloaded in various digital formats.