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

The Halloween Festivities continue on Synthetix.FM into an unprecedented second week! Yes, theres just too much music for the season around to move on. When will it end? Well, I'd say the upcoming review of Dance With The Dead's debut album should bookend things nicely. 'Til then, we're still rockin the darkness with candy coursing through our veins and Jack-o'-lantern vestiges still glowing bright!

One of the true highlights of Halloween 2013 is the phenomenal compilation released by Playmaker. The Miami Cannibal Massacre is deep laceration after laceration of sharpened synth slashes, boasting a cast of serial superstars thirsting for blood and vengeance. It's a staggering display of talent from the scene on show here, with the devil's share of tracks being exclusively available in this compilation.



Even more rockin is the upcoming physical release of this on cassette with a poster of the cover art. Click through the player to the Bandcamp page for more information on this rockin limited edition.


Let's keep the volume turned all the way up to rad with the new Synthetix Weekend Update!


The Glow Racing project from Montana Games keeps on rockin as more musical talent signs on. Apollo Zapp is the latest addition to the stable and his new track 'Glow Racing Theme' adds a very smooth and sophisticated air to the proceedings. Not a fast paced, frenetic OutRun affair, but instead creating an undulating synthscape that flows effortlessly.




Evanton are celebrating their first year anniversary with a kickin new track available for FREE download. 'Living In The 80s' brings the Evanton sound out of it's Italo roots and into some different territory as the melodies are given a new personality, complete with synth strings filling in the background. It's not what I'd call their most 80s sounding track, but it certainly rocks!




Time to take the Halloween sounds into the realms of synth pop with the new track from Kid Indiglo titled 'Wolf At The Door'. The subject matter is dark, but the melodic structure provides much beauty with a fantastic narrative in both the lyrics and music. To celebrate Halloween this song is currently available for FREE download, so get on it and rock it.




Something new now from Timecop1983. This producer has been searching for his sound if his soundcloud is anything to go bu and I think he's found it in 'Into The Night'. Luxurious OutRun elements are brought together with much homage to the leaders of the scene. The flow is unmistakable, and hopefully this leads to Timecop1983 developing his craft further.




Someone who's spent most of 2013 developing their craft is the ever-rockin Foreign Blade. I've loved so much of this producer's music throughout the year and continue to be wowed by his work and '1 Kilo And 486 Miles' is no exception. You want rich, emotive melodies? You got 'em. You want an exciting narrative that will take you on an epic journey? That's here too. This track is spectacularly well crafted and as a wonderful bonus is currently available for FREE download.




Next up is the hot new debut EP from Polymatrix. This self-titled three track affair from this new Polish producer introduces us to his music with rockin results. Style wise the three tracks on offer are cut from the more epic fabrics of space and time and there are some superb nods to 70s prog synths sounds as well as 80s emotions.


The opening track serves as a great introduction as 'Nightrider' takes a really kick arse later 70s sounding melody and weaves it's story through ages and stages of evolutionary development that explodes in the final chapter with ferocious neon incandescence. 'Heart Of The City' is a tad more obtuse in it's delivery as the introduction builds from numerous directions into synth soundtrack themed piece. The sweeping synths layer in beauty over the chaos before the main synth melody rocks onto the scene and switches the entire piece into amazing new dimensions. The third track, '2087' is easily the most sci-fi feeling piece on the EP and shows once again that Polymatrix has a deft touch for developing his musical ideas into deeply rich stories.

This is a fantastic debut release from this artist and I'll be greatly looking forward to hearing more form Polymatrix in the future. For now you can pick up this great EP on his Bandcamp page here, at a name-your-own-price point.


Let's get back to some funkier stuff now with some hot new PH Groove. 'Rocket Power' is another adventure into the funkified future synth of PH Groove and continues his trend of making sure every avenue of a track is explored before it's finish. The six minute plus track length of PH Groove's more  releases are something I thoroughly applaud as it gives the listener the opportunity be fully ensconced in the music. 'Rocket Power' exemplifies this with it's totally kick arse synth melodies allowed to rock all over the universe; and you can let it rock all over yours too as it's currently available for FREE download!




Hot on the heels of his fantastic new album Scan Lines (which I endeavour to review on Synthetix.FM soon) is an unreleased track from LA Dreams entitled 'Am I Dreaming'. I find this piece most interesting as to me, as long time LA Dreams fan, it sounds like it was made a while back as it has a different air about it, production wise, although I wouldn't be surprised if I'm entirely wrong. Either way this is full of that gorgeous LA Dreams magic that is always so wonderful to experience.




A hot new collaboration from Stellar Dreams and Who Ha has surfaced and it's totally k-rad to the max.  A spooky synth  Halloween motif accented with Who Ha's inimitable comedic brilliance. The music is a great introduction to Stellar Dreams new dark experiments and I defy you to not have the 'Spooky Stellar, Spooky Who Ha' refrain looping in your head long after the song has ended. This is an absolute gem, so rock it hard and often.




And speaking of Stellar Dreams, the rockers themselves had a hot new EP out in time for the Halloween Season entitled Audiolove. This release marks a bit of a change in the Stellar Dreams soundscape, as evidenced above in their collaboration with Who Ha, which finds the duo digging into darker textures and ideas, abandoning much of their previous production styles in favour of a much more grisly slash electro flavour.


It should be no surprise to anyone that this works exceptionally well as the combination of their beautifully crafted melodies are now contrasted by a raw and violent energy. There are elements of the Carpenter Brut and Perturbator school of slash electro present throughout the EP and these darker energies are explosive and intense throughout,  however on  'Dance For Yesterday' Stellar Dreams allow their 80s soul to glow with much more loving colours but this is much more of a stop off than a destination on Audiolove.

It's provides for a very interesting synthscape, the balls-out synth violence of pieces like 'Haste' and 'Sound Of Blood' are riveting and full of instant gratification, whereas the final piece, 'The Vow' offers a combination of both peace and violence as the grand melodies are carved out with an aggressive instrumentation. The experiment comes off with much success and Audiolove shows that the Stellar Dreams experience is still going through developments to find it's true form.

Grab your copy of Audiolove on Stellar Dreams' Bandcamp page here, it's a wild ride into the darker creative energies of Stellar Dreams, tempered by their innate 80s love and most importantly it rocks from beginning to end.


2013 has certainly been a great year if your a fan of Cougar Synth. This duo has released some of the most lusciously luxurious 80s inspired synth adventures over the year and continue to impress with each new track. On their latest work, 'Visions' we find absolutely glorious synth melodies caressing a wonderful bass line in an embrace of rapturous passion. This is Cougar Synth doing what they do best, and it's totally magical to experience. You can add this to your music collection courtesy of the FREE download button in the player too.




This leads us perfectly into the new vision from Palm Highway Chase. Palm Highway Chase has been around since the beginning of the 80s inspired synth scene and his importance and relevance is explained to perfection in this new preview for his upcoming cassette release through Beer On The Rug. This track is the epitome of what emotive soundtrack synth is all about. The structure, the elements, the progressions, they're all perfectly moulded into an incredibly deep experience. To find out more about the mysterious producer known only as Palm Highway Chase to his many fans tune into KFAI's live stream today (Sunday) at 10AM CST for a live interview with him by scene icon Noah Kaufman as part of his Synth Waves show.




To finish off this week's Weekend Update we have the triumphant return of Project Friday to announce. The show's been on hiatus for the last few months, but Steve 'Silent Gloves' Gillson is back and ready to rock this Friday, the 8th of November. Get onto the Project Friday's website here and Facebook page here for more information!




As a final word for this week's Weekend Update I had the pleasure of joining Noah Kaufman, LA Dreams and RF Extreme on the Across The Board show on KFAI this past Friday. The live broadcast was a hell of a lof of fun and is something I'll be hopefully much more involved in in the future, you can listen to the stream or download the show here under the 11/01/2013 show under Recent Playlists.

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

Stellar Dreams Are On Call

Quite a substantial amount of music in the 80s inspired synth scene walks a line betwixt the classic sounds and arrangements of old; striving for authenticity to the 80s sounds and the music that mixes in more modern elements. This provides sometimes interesting, sometimes jarring but also sometimes totally rockin results.

Stellar Dreams' new four track EP walks this lines like a 100 story tightrope act, keeping  the balance beautifully throughout the four episodes of On Call. In the case of this EP the sounds are reasonably strict in their adherence to the 80s, but the arrangements are coloured by a tinge of the new. In some cases this is barely discernable, but in others it's more pronounced. This mixture serves Stellar Dreams very well as the overall experience is one of those 'best of both worlds' type affairs.




On Call opens with the title track that brings on the high octane energy of classic OutRun styled synth melodies then explodes into a more staccato delivery that pushes the punctuation to the point of exclamation. The megaton drums accent every note with earthshattering power throughout the first stanza. The music then breaks down into a much more modern period of muted tones that promise and deliver the ubiquitous build up and drop of present day arrangements. This ends up working very impressively with the energies of the sounds really coalescing superbly.

A slower exposition entitled Emotion is track two. This dirge like exploration of more somber moods retains a modicum of modern elements, but these aren't in contrast to spatially produced ambience and instead add an extra layer of interesting details. This slower and more atmospheric style is usually done in a totally 80s soundtrack style manner but Stellar Dreams really added that little bit of today in there and did so very succinctly without sacrificing the intimate nature of the track.

The stand out track of the release, for this listener, is Rad Racer which is the third adventure in On Call. The upbeat beginning leads into some of the most bitchen synth melodies on the release. The main melody is absolutely stunning with bright high energy sounds delivered in layer upon layer of gleaming aural neon. The OutRun motif races throughout this track again, as would be expected from it's title, keeping excitement levels high and searing synths rockin on twelve cylinders.. until the final violent end.

To finish off the EP we have another high energy piece in Sunset Chaser. This is a journey that feels like a Tommy construction in many respects, which I say as compliment. The overall sound is a different shade of Tommy's own brand of magic, but the feelings are there and Stellar Dreams perform them in a true and honest manner. Sunset Chaser and Rad Racer are the most classicly styled pieces with only fleeting moments of current sounds being used. The end result simply works and makes for a soundscape that is quite individual and charaterised with aplomb.

The On Call EP is available for FREE from Stellar Dreams' site here and I'd encourage all fans of quality 80s sounds to grab this fine release and give the guys some love on their Facebook page here too.

Synthetix Weekend Update

Another week in the 80s inspired synth scene has produced some kick arse new tunes, let's catch up on some the special highlights and bring some neon 80s love into your weekend.

AKAHandsDown's most recent track called Morning Breeze is the perfect place to start. This lightly swaying piece of moody synth work is thoroughly beautiful. The sounds move in and out of visibility with gorgeous nuance, summoning feelings of a bright new day streaming with golden sunlight.




Shifting into high gear Stellar Dreams' new track Sunset Chaser is loaded with high energy action. The super busy perscussion tracks provided the perfect complement to the smoothly undulating synth melodies. The music powers along at gallop  and the slow canter in one of it's later acts serves even more enriching.




Lost Years is getting his electro groove rockin hard in his latest preview The Electro Clash. Channeling some Paul Hardcastle and bringing in the trademark Lost Years synth melodies makes for the tantalising experience. Although on a short demo, it will no doubt evolve further in the coming weeks.




A great new track from the talented Fanateek One surface this week called September's Nights. This has got to have one of the funkiest bass lines I've heard recently. The accompanying video clip from The Wizard just makes it all work even harder in recreating that quality 80s experience.




Never one to rest on his laurels, Tommy's back in action this time with a remix of a song by Pasha. The Tommy magic is a perfect match for this vocal heavy euro pop, and it's subtlety and emotion sound very 80s indeed. Black Tears is supremely atmospheric and completely invigorating.




A new talent on the scene is Jaypeau, his new track Cobra is an action packed synthphony buzzing with energy and beautifully layered. The arrangements of this track are stunning, maximising the drama and ensuring the listener isn't sure just what's around the corner.




A new synth producer has come to my attention courtesy of Telefuture Records delightfully called Rolly Mingwald. This preview track to the seven track release due next week is superb, incorporating classic synth romance with a great distinctive sound. Expect a full review on Synthetix upon it's release.




I'd be completely remiss not to mention Slick Moranis' new song, Another Sleepless Night which was shared to soundcloud this week. This is a deeply emotional piece of 80s indie synth that has a magic all it's own. The haunting melodies and ghostlike vocals work together in a supremely wondrous manner. Be sure to check out the excellent Perturbator remix here for more sleepless nights love.




From AKAHandsDown's Morning Breeze to Stellar Dreams' Sunset Chaser to Fanateek One's September's Nights to Slick Moranis' Another Sleepless Night we've traversed a full day here on this week's Weekend Update on Synthetix. I hope your weekend is just as full of action and emotion and I look forward to sharing more music with you next week.

The Nightvoid of Stellar Dreams

One thing I love about the general love of 80s music is that it transcends geography. There are producers dotted all around the planet, and the newest addition to the scene adds Malaysia to the growing list of countries producing 80s inspired synth music.

Stellar Dreams have just released their first track to soundcloud and it's a beautifully conceived and executed work of very astutely crafted 80s synth love.




The stormy atmosphere is a perfect backdrop to the synthesized set pieces that layer in at a languid pace. I love the sounds Stellar Dreams use, theres something very heavy and foreboding, yet deliciously formed. The lead melody is understated in it's delivery, haunting and hypnotizing. The works of Carpenter/Cronenberg and Argento spring to mind visually as the second downpour saturates the mix and the last act of the piece is a raucously ramapaging riot that'll have you dripping and terrified on the edge of your seat.

This is a very strong first-release for Stellar Dreams and I hope we get hear more of their work in the future as this duo show much promise. Give Stellar Dreams lots of love on their soundcloud here and I look forward to sharing more of their music with you in future episodes on Synthetix.