Synthetix Weekend Update

The more the scene grows the more great music comes out and the more releases I find are slipping through the cracks and don't get the chance to be shared on here. As a bit of a trial run I'm going to reprise something the old FM stations used to do on their weekly Top 40 flyers and bring in something to the Weekend Updates to make sure as little as possible misses getting some exposure.

In honour of an FM radio station that no longer exists that I used to listen to religiously in the 80s (EON FM) I'm going to call this new section Airborne. Airborne is going to cover the EPs and LPs that I don't have the space to review or doesn't technically meet the criteria for a full Synthetix.FM review but still is well worthy of your attention. The reviews during the week on here are all about the music that moves me and I fall in love with, and I give them the full treatment. The Weekend Updates are for my favourite tracks that have come out through the week and the odd EP, with the new Airborne section it gives me the chance to share more great music with you.

AIRBORNE This Week

Paris76 - Sandy Dreams Debut EP from this promising producer, with great 70s and 80s influences and crossing over a wide range of genres.

Kid Quasar - Mega Drive Another great debut EP, this time taking the 80s in more experimental directions, highly recommended to fans of the Klockhaus brand of soundscapes.

Cheap Talk - Let's Get Electric Lots of great 80s pop sounds given a modern coat of gloss with a dreamy, charming lo-fi aesthetic.

Nightcrawler - Metropolis  Debut album from Nightcrawler covers a massive ranges of styles and genres with some marvellous atmospheric pieces and collaborative work.

---------------------------------------------------

SaiR is back with a hot new track 'Leaving Earth'. Smooth and funky sounds jam along with a sumptuous glow and explore deep melodic passages with just a hint of sexiness. Superb arrangements and full of that rockin SaiR magic!




MUSCLE is new rocker on the scene and has created quite a buzz with his track 'Our Bodies In Heat'. Only his second track but he already has a great understanding of 80s sounds and has some excellent progressions that really build up the excitement. Currently available for FREE download, too!




Bixby Snyder's rockin the Valentine's Day spirit with his totally rockin new track 'Moon & Back'. Working with vocal talent Heidi this synth pop gem bridges the 80s pops standards as well as some Italo flavour cast into the mix for more good times. You can purchase this kick arse song here.




Offic3r is rocking some supremely engaging work with his new track 'Close To Harmony'. The foreboding melodies are accented by chilled, emotive leads with deft flourishes of effects highlighting the action. The drama is dangerous and threatens to explode but is held on a tight leash throughout.




A new producer to Synthetix.FM is Infinity Cobra from Austria. He's been sharing his music on soundcloud for about a year and his latest track is rather special. 'A Cyberpunk Story' is very atmospheric in it's synthscape and retains an uncomplicated lightness through it's chapters. The lead refrain is fantastic and becomes a haunting mantra. Available for FREE download currently.




Destroyah is another new producer but definitely demands some attention with his new track 'Neon Knight (1980-14 Mix)'. The music is emotive and very creatively engineered with a stellar variety of sounds creating high points in the synthscape. It's hugely atmospheric and vast while retaining poignant touches of intimacy. Be sure to check out the other tracks on Destroyah's soundcloud too.




More Valentine's themed love, this time from scene legend Sferro with his sensuous track 'Endearment'.  Melodies come in and out of focus with a deep embrace and lingering synths form deeply enriching passages. In the spirit of giving Sferro has also made this track a FREE download to celebrate Valentine's Day.




Danger Mode keeps on rockin all the right ways and his latest track although on the short side is totally sweet. 'Burning Rubber' gets back to OutRun basics with a devilishly infectious melody set afire with searing synths and high speed thrills. Marvellous work!




Next up is a track that's sure to divide audiences but is definitely something new for the scene. As I mentioned in last week's Weekend Update, I was wondering where Blokkmonsta would take his 80s journey next and my question has been answered rather vociferously! 'Night Life' is a collaborative piece with Swagbot rockin the synths over aggressive beats and a rap vocal in German that I'm pretty sure isn't a Valentine's Day themed love poem. I'm still on the fence, personally, but it's definitely something new for 80s inspired synth scene that could lead to more exciting music in the future. Also check out Swagbot's killer new solo track 'Natural High' for more rad rockin.




One of the highlights of my listening this week is the totally rockin new track from Waveshaper titled 'Deep Circuits'. This piece is arranged for maximum excitement and engagement and has a lead melody that is k-rad to the max. A marvellous blend of 70s prog and 80s sounds makes for a tonne of aural magic.




Robert Parker is a producer I was only recently made aware of and now I'm trying to catch up as much as possible. His new track, 'Brooklyn Bridge' is a wonderfully atmospheric composition with emotions that run deep and true. Make sure you check out his killer Drive, Sweat, Play release on Bandcamp too!



Pulse 80's new track 'Automation' is sure kick the 80s Electro Rock sounds beautifully. This Dub version is a apparently a B side (as well this Bonus Beats mix) but I'm unsure when the A side will appear. Either way, this track rocks to the max and both pieces are up for FREE download.




Haunting melodies are the order of the day for Kruiser's new track 'Childhood'. There is a palpable air of melancholy about this piece, but perhaps it's this affectionate memory of times in our youth that are sure to bring a tear to our eyes. Emotionally driven and crafted with much beauty, this is a riveting experience. Kruiser's very new to the scene, but I'm certainly looking forward to hearing more from him.




Keeping things melancholic with a bit more of a pop angle is Decades/Failures new gem 'February 14th'. The distorted Joy Division-esque vocals tell a tale of broken hearts and the emotional mess left behind after the romance has gone. The sweet synth melodies are full of 80s homage  and make for a great counterpoint to the much more raw vocals.  This song is currently available for FREE download.




Miami Beach Force are having a bit of Valentine's sadness too in their new track 'The End'. Morose and moody melody build with powerful rhythms pounding unforgivingly. The searing lead synth is beautiful and fragile as it climbs higher and higher into the nothingness above.




Bringing back some romance to fix our broken hearts is the rad new collaboration between Femmepop and Timecop 1983. 'Our Time' is a fantastic modern take on 80s pop sounds with sweetly passionate vocals and synth melodies that smoulder great beauty.  You can pick up a copy of this song on Bandcamp here, and you can also watch the official video for 'Our Time' here.




The final piece for this week's Weekend Update comes to us from synthwave auteur extraordinaire Neros77 and his video from Palm Highway Chase's 'Atari Prime'. His source material is one of my favourite 80s ads and befits the music to perfection! I'll be reviewing Palm Highway Chase's Arpnet album on Synthetix.FM next week, so enjoy this candy flavoured taster until then.




That does us for this week's Weekend Update, I'll be back during the week with more of the raddest tunes from the 80s inspired synth scene, 'til then stay 80s and keep on rockin.

Welcome To 2014 On Synthetix.FM With The First Weekend Update For The Year!

After a relaxing break over the holiday period Synthetix.FM is now BACK and ready to rock you all year long with the hottest music from the 80s inspired synth scene!

Firstly, I'd like to introduce to hot new Synthetix.FM experience in the official Synthetix.FM Plug.DJ room. This is a 24/7 party anyone can join and is hosted by the scene's hottest talent as Resident DJ's. It's up and running all the time and you never know who's going to drop some rockin tunes and even preview exclusive new tracks, as we've witnessed with yet unreleased tracks from Perturbator and Phaserland this past week. This new extension of the Synthetix.FM experience allows an avenue for us all to share new and classic favourites in rockin online party atmosphere. We're already talking about running some special exclusive events in the near future too. Your hosts in the room are Magnum Crockett and Marko McLovin and their team of bouncers. Many thanks to Magnum Crockett for making this a reality and for his constant support of the scene. I hope all Synthetix.FM regulars use the room for lots of good times and great rock'n'roll and I'll hopefully see you in there too!

I'd also like to welcome Drive Radio as a new Synthetix.FM partner. This team of rockers are devoted to the scene are doing a wonderful job of spreading the love for 80s inspired synth sounds through Europe. Here's to rockin' with much radness through 2014, Drive Radio!

The first compilations are already hitting for 2014 too, the first one I'd like to cover being the debut compilation from Pink Neon Records entitled auspiciously titled The Compilation. This is a spectacularly star studded affair with the likes of Batch Sound, Vincenzo Salvia, Sam Haggblad, Protector 101 and Arc Neon amongst many others providing scintillating synth slices of sonic sumptuousness. The cassette release has already sold out, but be sure to grab a digital copy and support this new label. Pick up The Compilation from Pink Neon Records here, or via the link in the featured compilations on the right hand side of this page.

One last thing I'd like to mention is the Kung Fury Kickstarter that only has a few days left. I'm sure there aren't too many, if any, readers of Synthetix.FM that don't already know about this but it's most definitely one the single most exciting things I've ever seen. Laser Unicorns are working with Rosso Corsa Records for the soundtrack and this is something that'll expose a lot more people to the music we love. The viral nature of the video for Kung Fury has gone a long way to display how on-the-verge of the mainstream this music is so please dig deep and support the Kickstarter here.

On to matters at hand! It would be futile of me to think I can cover all the hot music that has been released over the last month, as well as keeping abreast of new releases so this Weekend Update is a mixture of brand new rockin anthems and some of my favourites that came out over the holiday period. There are a few really kick arse EP and LP releases I'll be reviewing over the next few weeks that came out in this period too.

Just as a bit of a refresher the Weekend Updates on Synthetix.FM are all about sharing my favourite new tracks in the scene, but I always try to give space to new and upcoming producers to expose them to a wider audience. As the scene keeps on growing it becomes impossible for me to cover absolutely everything that comes out so the tracks shared here are what I believe are the 'cream of the crop' based on my own personal feelings. I always prioritise tracks that are now available for download/purchase, and I won't cover tracks that are titled as still being in demo/unfinished states, simply because I don't have the luxury of being able to fit them all in and I'd rather share fully realised ideas than incomplete ones out of respect to the producer and their audience.

This is all based on my personal taste of course, but Synthetix.FM will always want to deal with quality over quantity and as we embark on new and exciting adventures in 2014 who knows where these magical 80s inspired synthscapes will take us!

So let the radness begin, with the first Weekend Update on Synthetix.FM for 2014!!


First up is a the hot new tune from Photosynthesi. His seductive Synth Romance sounds are always so emotive and enriching, he has a true gift for making sparkling synth love poems. 'Saying The Three Words' is full of 80s love and beautiful passages of deeply caressing synth sounds.




Compilerbau is rockin hard with his great new track 'Weird Guy'. This slightly of kilter track is layered with some very interesting passages and the creativeness of the producer is allowed to flourish beautifully. This is currently available for FREE download. Also check out his awesome brand new track 'Tachyon' he's just released.




Time to get dark and epic with the kick arse new Soundtrack Synth release from Matt Creamer. 'Prolonged Anti-Evolution' is about as dystopian as it gets with equal parts of futurism and nihilism painting an atmosphere that details a beautiful story. The sounds verge on the triumphant while building to a contemplative conclusion. This marvellous experience is available for FREE download too.




A new rocker on the scene now as Beat Plastic begins his 80s synth journey with '(There's Something) About Us'. The Beat Plastic synthscape is energetic and vigorous with driving percussion and wonderfully constructed passages. It's refreshing and totally kick arse! Many thanks to Randall Rex for introducing me to Beat Plastic.




Pumping Body was one of my favourite new producers last year and he continues to push the rad levels into the danger zone in 2014 with his stellar new track 'Picture Of The Future'. The story evolves with much excitement and explores some totally electric melodies. Available for FREE download currently too.




More new talent now, this time from France's Sandrine Harrouet and her enticing new track 'FM Radio'. The pace of this experience is what gives it such a resonant presence, I find. It canters along at just the right speed to explore it's details in an unhurried and cool manner.




Keeping things at a decidedly languid pace is the great new experience from Cartridge 1987 with 'Love Lost'. The deeply cutting chords are drawn with much despondency and heartfelt pain as the music takes us into sensitive passages of cold emptiness before being set afire with explosive energies during the final sequences. Incredibly beautiful, arranged to absolute perfection and available for FREE download through the player.




Riddlis is a producer whom I believe is still experimenting in finding his own sound and with his new track I think he's taken great strides in achieving this. 'The Lost Days' has an air of dramatic Italo about it but also explores more cinematic territory in it's journey. The end result is uplifting and joyous and totally rockin.




Cluster Buster is rockin 2014 with his fantastic ode to the exploitation classic Maniac. Surprisingly, however, this is not a dark synth dirge but is instead a thoughtful exploration of the humanity behind the monstrosity. Cluster Buster has also just shared his own vision of the classic Airwolf Theme, which is available for FREE download for a limited time.




Lurking in the shadows, awaiting their next victim we find Miami Beach Force. Taking a break from their day time beach lifestyle to indulge in some nocturnal insanity with 'Night Stalker'. The mood is definitely full of danger and caution while the soundscape is a delectable mix of 80s sounds with 70s progressions, creating a Goblin/Tangerine Dream-esque ambiance that works exceedingly well. Miami Beach Force just opened their Facebook page too, so get liking them here.




Android Automatic's ear for classic 80s melodies arranged in a modern manner has really been exemplified in his new track 'Future Eyes'. The structures are built in a wonderfully exciting way and the 80s love weaved through out the melodic structure is thoroughly intoxicating.




Redefining intensity in 80s inspired synth is the amazing new track from Twilight Racing: 'The Kawasaki Ninja'. This ode the superpowered street machine is cranking into the red zone from beginning to end. Hold your breath, wrench the accelerator and take off into oblivion!




One of the few producers in the scene really writing with guitars as the driving force behind the music's structure is Jon Of The Shred. His metal background has now ushered in an 80s inspired synth journey that he's taken to with much passion. 'Infiltration' has a Soundtrack Synth styled arrangement that rocks hard into the future with symphonic guitars and spatial synths. This is currently available for FREE download but also check out his kick arse other new track 'Premonitions' for more intense action.




RF Extreme was most certainly one of my favourite producers of deeply emotional synthscapes in 2013. His journey throughout the year was one of the most inspiring as each new track explored his passions further. In his new piece we get to experience this even deeper as melodic tendrils of light ebb and flow in an esoteric orchestration of glorious majesty. In other RF Extreme news, you can now purchase his first EP consisting of Synthetix.FM favourites 'Eyes Of Blue' and 'Never Ending Desire' courtesy of Wave Runner Records here.




More new talent, this time from London's OFFIC3R with his latest track 'Pursuit'. The drum programming in this jam is totally kick arse as the fills fly like a hail of bullets above the darkly constructed synth melodies. This kind of track is just begging to have an accompanying video, I think.




Manolis appeared to me towards the end of 2013 but certainly made a lasting impression and his offerings in 2014 are already kickin hard. His latest track 'Wave' is incredibly strong it's arrangements and develops an epic narrative that is absolutely stunning. Be sure to check his 'After The Sunset' piece that came out recently too, which is available for FREE download currently.




Transcend is another new producers on the scene, this time out of Norway. His synthscapes really piqued my interest with the modern and dramatic percussion being contrasted by ethereal 80s melodies. Definitely constructed with a contemporary flow, there is an 80s soul within that glows bright and warm.




Amazing Police continues to blur decades, sounds and emotions in his own inimitable way with his incredible new experience 'Speed In Reverse'. The entire piece is completely enthralling and full of excitement and ascends to all new levels on enlightenment through it's multidimensional synthscapes.




Hugo Rancho is rockin one of the catchiest melodies I've heard in recent times in his track 'High Noon'.  The piece is engineered to maximise to excitement of the lead melody and does so with aplomb. The build up towards the back end before the final passages just magnify it even further. Be sure to grab a copy of this while it's available for FREE download.




It's a pleasure to usher in the new year with a hot new track from Evanton in this first Weekend Update for 2014. The Italo vibes of Evanton are always seriously hypnotising with their trademark pumping basslines and sharp melodies. There's always distinct machismo to Evanton's modern take on Italo and 'Moderno Sintetico' certainly delivers that. Currently available for FREE download in celebration of them achieving 25k plays on soundcloud. Keep on rockin, Evanton!




And speaking of hypnotising, the final piece for this first Weekend Update for 2014 is a totally rockin new video from Orax for his great track 'Dreaming'. This is a really well conceived video that takes the music to all new levels of enjoyment and excitement. If you've not picked it up already, please grab your own copy of Orax's Dreaming EP on Future City Records here.




That does us for the first Weekend Update for 2014 on Synthetix.FM, it's good to be back and rockin hard and I look forward to sharing lots more kick arse music from the 80s inspired synth scene throughout the year ahead.

I look forward to seeing you during the week for more rad synth action, 'til then stay 80s and keep on rockin.