Synthetix Weekend Update

Time again for another Weekend Update on Synthetix.FM! There's something new coming to Synthetix.FM, something I hope you enjoy. For the first time I'll be having a new contributor to the site, and it will be a new regular feature on a weekly basis. I've had numerous people ask to contribute over the years and I've never taken any on as basically the content would be the same as what I already offer but from a different author. I was very aware that any person I was ever going to get to contribute to Synthetix.FM would need to offer something new, something different to what I do and something that is still in keeping with the Synthetix.FM theme and aesthetic.

With these lofty criteria I really didn't think I'd get anybody else to create content on here, not that I didn't want people to contribute, but more that it had to be something that met these things specifically so that it was a complementary aspect to the Synthetix.FM experience. Luckily all the planets got into alignment recently and I'm very pleased to announce their first post will happen on here midweek, between my two usual reviews. I want to keep it a surprise until it happens, and I hope all you Synthetix.FM rockers out there find this new addition entertaining and enlightening. So tune in Wednesday to Synthetix.FM for all the hot new action!

Right now let's pull back the throttle and launch into synthual realms of azure brilliance and aural majesty with this week's AIRBORNE feature releases!

Mathusalem - Panorama  A producer bridging many vintage and modern aspects in his music is Mathusalem and his latest EP presented by Future City Records is a four track affair entitled Panorama. The style of the music is arranged with many modern flavours and the sounds blend vintage 80s glows with contemporary colour but it is the melodies that draw a rather wonderful retro pastiche from these ingredients. This release is definitely right on the borderline of being relevant to Synthetix.FM but is definitely something worthy of your listening time. Some great ideas surface throughout the tracks that are fresh and rockin with 'Panorama' and the opening piece 'Alpha Centauri' being my favourites for creating hypnotically designed 80s inspired experiences.




Omega Danzer - Play The Future Another producer who's combining many old and new inspiration is Omega Danzer. His latest EP titled Play The Future is presented for your enjoyment by Computer Love Records and delivers thrilling mixes of 80s synth and Italo sounds in a French Touch ambiance that brings to mind a great deal of the original 80s revival producers from the late 2000s. The sounds are heavily beat-driven with a dancefloor energy powering the synthscape but Omega Danzer keeps the 80s rockin via soothing and electrifying melodies. Electro rock breakin' action is one of the EP's highlights on the title track but his OutRun themed 'Galaxia Danze' is also a high point.


Nitelight - Kepler-186F A brand new team of rockers out on the loose and ready to relive the 80s dream is the three piece act Nitelight from Italy who've just completed their debut EP Kepler-186F. The Nitelight experience is about creating atmospheres of synthual passages that blend soundtrack aspects with energetic synthwave hooks. The music itself is arranged with great care and maximises the beauty of the elements with the percussion ensuring a focus is retained and the rockin doesn't stop. Emotional canvases vary immensely, through the panic and drama of the title track and into the smooth undulations of 'Countach' then into the night time action thrills of 'Pleasure 2008'. Nitelight keep passions running high throughout this EP and it bodes very well for their future in classic 80s sounds.

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Quick! Get onto this as quick as you can before Trevor Something makes it disappear! I've had very little luck posting his music of late as by the time I'm ready to post it he's pulled it down off soundcloud. With his new track available on iTunes here I'm assuming this one might be up for the duration, with any luck. The dreamy synth pop gold of Trevor Something continues to glow and smoulder throughout 'Summer Love' and his vocals are, once again, some of the most suave you're going to hear outside of a Roxy Music record.




Treading with fear in the dark woods, late at night is the latest work from Zombie Hyperdrive: 'Red Eyes'. The threat of danger looms through every stanza and the guitar tear shreds of flesh from bone with roaring solos of complete entrancement. 'Red Eyes' is certainly a track Goblin would be proud of and Zombie Hyperdrive should be too as this rocks from beginning to end.




Swapping out the terror for some amorous advances is Destroyah with his latest work 'Girl In A Varsity Jacket'. Although the sounds are geared towards the romance of the 80s this is a very interesting take on synth romance sounds and moves with a graceful and ethereal presence while the female vocal work provides a wonderful counter play to the smoothly implemented sax.




Paris76 has been continuing his journey into vintage sounds and experimenting with some new ideas and in 'Neo Noir (re-edit)' he's come up with something rockin indeed. The structures of this track, especially the percussion are off kilter and enhance the dreamy nature of the melodies. The result is very engaging and full of homage to vintage sounds.




Venturing further into avant garde territory is the latest creation from Jowie Schulner called 'Era Of Adventure'. Once again it is the non-traditional percussion that really skews the angles and presence of the melodies into exquisite new surrounds. The hypnotic arrangements are irresistible and breathtaking.




Brutal Pony Riders is rockin up some kick arse grooves in his latest work B.P.R FM. The chintz is turned up into gloriously raucous levels with cowbell magic riding at full gallop throughout. This hot track is currently available for FREE download via the player.




Hello Meteor's been rocking the 80s inspired synth magic for a while now but I do believe this is the first time I've covered his music on Synthetix.FM. His latest track is 'Justifying The Intrusion' and it's one kick arse piece of synth gold. Sounds are marauding and subtle, keeping the ambiance balanced on tenter hooks. This is the perfect blend of night moods and hidden emotions. Beautiful music.




Taking off from earthly nights into the eternal night of space is another deeply atmospheric work of synthual delights courtesy of Kid Quasar and his track 'Phase Night'. The airy nature of the melodies are hung together by a totally kick arse bassline that really ties all the elements together into a magical experience.




Time Trvlr is rockin some quality Italo this week with his latest work 'Ciab Bella-Italo'. The elements come together in wonderfully traditional fashion and the arrangements on here really would take off to all new levels with a vocal track from a classically styled Italo chanteuse.  I wonder what Evelyn Barry or Lian Ross are up to these days?  This track is currently available for FREE download.




We've not visited the jungles of danger and unknown mythical powers for quite some time on Synthetix.FM but Robot Outro is ready to give us a guided tour of forgotten cultures and mystical magic courtesy of his rockin new tune 'The Outsider Tribe'. The percussion is wonderfully implemented and each element alludes to even more intrigue amidst the sprawling tropical forests. This track is also available for FREE download currently.




The terror of the night returns with violence and brutality in Grochoski's sinister new track 'Wild Night'.  After a horrific scene is set in the introduction the synths take over and carve out passages of menace with a couple of contemporary accents added that really give the track a surprising and unpredictable edge that I found hugely entertaining. You can pick up a copy of this track on Grochoski's Bandcamp page here at a name-your-own price point.




Mitch Murder's celebrating 10,000+ fans on his Facebook page with a wonderful new track for FREE download! 'Ocean Avenue' provides a much more airy and sparsely populated synthscape than we're usually accustomed to with Mitch Murder's work and in doing so allows for the sunny ambiance of the melodies to shine with a gloriously warm flow. Congratulations, Mitch rocker, and thanks for all the magical tunes!




Next up is another minimalist synthscape from Frank Dagger this time. 'Girls Best Friend' is going to be featured as the soundtrack to a short film by director Marcos Cidade. I'm unfamiliar with this director's work but I hope we get to see the full production as this rockin tune is certainly engineered for some intriguing visuals. This track is currently available for FREE download too.





Our final track for this week's Weekend Update is the aptly titled 'Until The Sun Goes Down' from Synthetix.FM favourite Tommy. The magic of this producer emanates deeply from within this song yet it contains a bright, happy vibe that is often a road less travelled for this producer who's more prone to travel the more introspectively deep musical paths. Tommy's music is always uplifting in its melodic structures and this is definitely the case with this gorgeous track, which is also currently available for FREE download.




Our video feature this week, once again, comes from 80s inspired synth scene official video maker par excellence Neros77 with his totally rockin mix of Garth Knight's epic 'Dance With Me' and visuals from everyone's favourite Hasselhoff extravaganza Knight Rider. Neros77 kills it once again!





That does us for another Weekend Update on Synthetix.FM. I hope you've found some hot new tunes to make your weekend the right shades of 80s neon. I'll be back during the week with more hot rockin tunes from the 80s inspired synth scene and don't forget the new weekly feature launching here midweek. 'Til then, stay 80s and keep on rockin.

Synthetix Weekend Update

All the planets must be in alignment this past week as a whole ensemble of 80s synth heavy hitters have shared brand new music in an onslaught of pink neon explosiveness. September is going to be a big month for EP and album releases, so keep your internet dial tuned to Synthetix.FM for all the radness a rocker can bear.

One of the great things currently happening in the 80s inspired synth scene is people stepping up and doing their thing to spread the word. As I mentioned in the Protector 101post I did this week Andy Synth is doing a fantastic new shows called Beyond Synth. Andy's already done interviews with Who Ha, Ogre Sound and Vincenzo Salvia, as well as the aforementioned session with Protector 101. The interviews as informal and relaxed and make for very entertaining listening.

Also stepping up is 80s synth scene mainstay BenniMushu and his new show on KFAI radio, Synth Waves. Anyone who's been active in the scene over the last few years will recognise BenniMushu as one of the most ardent and loyal fans of 80s inspired synth music on soundcloud. Now that he has his own radio show he's doing interviews and playing the hottest rockin tunes.

These two rockers will hopefully fill the void for quality interviews with all the great producers in the scene. I had intended for Synthetix.FM to do more interviews, as I've done in the past, but the workload on here has meant I've not been able to devote nearly enough time to doing them to a standard I'm happy with. I always hoped that other rockers would stand up and take on that role and now with at least two sites doing podcast style interviews this should provide a huge amount of good times and great rock'n'roll for those fans, like myself, who want to know more about the scene's raddest talent.

Let's get down to business with some solid gold tunes that are sure to make your days brighter and your nights hotter with the new Weekend Update on Synthetix.FM!


First up is another great track from Pumping Body with 'Young Untouchable'. This Polish producer is really weaving some great 80s magic in his music and this latest track is no exception. Upbeat melodies and punchy percussion set moods to exciting, with a chance of romance. Currently available for FREE download too.




Even though Dance With The Dead pushed their full length album release back to sometime this month they're still making sure we know what we're going to be in for and that, most importantly, it'll be well worth the wait. In their latest demo, 'Xenon', the duo once again combine the danceability of high energy OutRun with the darker sides of Giallo Disco. As always the arrangements create an incredibly deep narrative that thrills and chills it's way into your soul.




It's always going to be a red letter day when theres new Photosynthesi music around and this new track certainly reinforces this. 'Out Of The Blue' is full of cascading melodies and azure vistas full of cresting waves and breezy synths; you'll need to put your sunglasses on for maximum effect. This track is also and exclusive to the new episode KFAI's Synth Waves show.




It's great to see Les Chic Voltage is back and rockin the scene more frequently of late. His latest work is a slow burning synth adventure  called 'Fresh Dub 82'. Containing some massive drums and dub elements he ties it all together with some totally tubular 80s melodies that make the entire experience a magical affair. Currently available for FREE download too.




80s Stallone dropped not one but two super cool tracks this week. Both are inspiring and full of 80s love and passion and I found myself in quite a quandary as to which one I enjoyed the most. I think 'Heavyweight' has a slightly richer story but 'Comeback' has a charm that is undeniable. The solution? Heres 'Heavyweight' and heres 'Comeback' so rock em both loud and proud!




Moustache Machine unleashed the spectacular 'Mission Control' this week ans I'm still feeling the aftershocks. The build on this track is totally kick arse and the nods to OutRun and Italo sounds throughout the adventure is as rockin as it is riveting. Also available currently for FREE download.




In what promises to be one hell of a synthscapade through many dimensions is the new full length record form Shio-Z. The preview he has posted covers a massive amount of territory and each track definitely piques my interest and makes me hunger for more. We don't have to wait long for this album's release though as it's released date is only a few days away on the 10th of September, but you can start getting excited right now!




The big hits just keep on coming and they don't get much bigger than STARFORCE's new single. 'Alpine Glow Part II' is a sequel to one of the most popular tracks off their last album Ominiversal Oscillations and it continues the ideas and emotions forged in the original to wondrous new evolutions.
It's an awe inspiring experience with a grandeur and class that is irrepressible. This epic is currently available for FREE download too, so get it rockin ASAP!




I honestly find it hard to put into words just how much I love Sternrekorder's music. Every time I get to post a new track by this amazing producer I seem to find it that little bit harder to convey just how hard his music rocks. In his latest track 'Duesenjaeger' we have yet another glorious ride into a fanciful wonderland of shimmering brilliance and beautiful synthscapes. Magnificent!




Funk synth rockers Jupiter Gang are back with a kickin new tune called 'The Escape'. I find this act one of the most exciting in this field of 80s synth as there seems to be a completely lucid understanding of the genre in their music. I can just see Morris Day & The Time marching up and down the stage to this with synths in hand and bad intentions on their minds. Also available for FREE download!




Another massive release in the offing is a new album from scene legend FM Attack. This exciting new  release promises a huge amount of glowing 80s love done with that touch of modernity. There are currently five preview tracks available for your early indulgence on FM Attack's soundcloud here but I couldn't resist sharing 'Magic' featuring the inimitable premier chanteuse of the 80s inspired synth scene Kristine on vocals. We don't have wait too long for the album as De Ja Vu is due to be released next week on the 12th of September.




Next up is the brand new track from Dr Pecco which blew me the first time I heard it. In 'Scubamask' Dr Pecco creates just the right level of drama and intrigue while lacing the synthscape with a wonderfully catchy lead melody. This instantly became one of my favourite tracks by the good Doctor, plus it's also available for FREE download currently!




Something that's becoming a fantastic new trend in the scene is the amount of producers getting work doing soundtracks for movies, games and digital comics. These avenues are the perfect way to broaden the audience and fan base that is possible. Foreign Blade has become the most recent producer to explore these new pastures with his new track 'Wiped Out' which will feature in the online comic OutRunners. It's a great track with a darkened mood and a thirst for danger and I hope this leads to more work for Foreign Blade on this production. 'Wiped Out' is available for FREE download too.




Continuing down the dramatic path of intrigue is the new track from Cobra Copter. 'The Plan' is at it's core a funky piece that is bound by a super catchy lead melody but this has been chopped up and almost glitched about in a very entertaining manner. The simplicity of the synthscape allows for much greater explorations of this melody and creates a very engaging experience.




A wonderful new track came my way this week from the delightfully named Zombie Hyperdrive. This piece called 'Citadel' is vastly majestic and rich in melodic harmonies and it's absolutely jubilant in it's stunning chorus refrain. The story is as epic and full of enrapturing details that are completely spellbinding. Definitely one of my favourites in this week's crop of rockin tunes.




To finish off with we have a new high energy roller coaster ride from the alway rockin LA Dreams.
'The Taste Of Glory' is jam packed with twisting turns and high speed straights and the shredding guitars take the experience to all new levels of adrenalin fuelled excitement. Totally rockin.



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

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

Synthetix Weekend Update

I hope everyone's recovered from the emotional overdose of So Real by now, I believe I can now move on to more music myself after this this song has so deeply affected me. Moving into May the big releases keep on pumping. With a bunch of killer new EP's from Tommy, Gost, Patrick Baker, Vercetti Technicolor and Arc Neon plus many others, it's going to be another great month to be a fan of 80s inspired synth music. But now it's time to rock the past week in the scene with the all new Synthetix Weekend Update!


First up is a smoothly serenely piece of funky fried synth gold from Betamaxx. Dolby Dance works is as slick as is gets with the perfect blend of sounds and a structure that feels light and breezy. The huge range of instruments just engages even further. Definitely an evolutionary step in the Betamaxx journey.

A new artist I discovered courtesy of the Synthetix Facebook group is SPF5Ø. This dabbler in the darkened arts of 80s horror synth has come up with something rather special in his new track Love Crime. The intensity of the terror with is unrelenting with a cacophonous atmosphere that intensifies the brutality. Currently available for FREE download.

Alpha Boy hit close to home with his release which is dedicated to his father. Axel Theme is a poignant at intimate piece which combines the Alpha Boy trademark sounds in a more languid setting. It's obvious this track is very special to the composer and the delicacy at which he handle the melodies is wondrous to behold.



New rockers Slow Knights came into my world this week courtesy of the always delightful Patrick Baker and although their tracks have been up on soundcloud for a month or so I felt they definitely deserved some love on Synthetix.FM. The Slow Knights sound is reminiscent of classic mid 80s synth funk pop with a transatlantic aura about their sounds. There's an uplifting familiarity to their music that I absolutely adore, lets hope they've got some official releases planned soon.




Amping up the funk even more is the totally rockin new Jupiter Gang track Planet Lazerium. The Jupiter Gang have been upping the production rate quite a bit of late so I hope this means there'll be a release of some sorts soon, but for now this is available for FREE download, so get your own slice of sweet 80s funk pie courtesy of Jupiter Gang now.




The return of Night Sprite with a short preview for his next release (also due out in May) was massively exciting. This short video speaks volumes and certainly piques my interest in where the next Night Sprite adventure will  be going. I'll be sure to cover this album upon it's release.





Time to get your italo trousers on with James Baker's upbeat new single Voyage. The authenticity of the sounds and melodies work together in a very magical way throughout, totally infectious from beginning to end. Also available for FREE download currently.




Babylon 86 are certainly rockin all the right ways and their new track Teenage Breeze encapsulates a galaxy of 80s sounds and moods into one beautiful adventure. It builds to perfection with an action driven synth romance style that I truly love. Another track that's available for FREE download.




Some new funk pop rockers on the scene are Black Forest Ghetto. This duo is finding their 80s soul and have released a new track to denote this direct called Purest N.G.T. These guys have a really energetic live sound and I love the girls vocal style, it befits the personality of the music perfectly. I'll be following Black Forest Ghetto with much interest in the future as this song is very promising.




Electric Dissection's taken his sound into a delicately intimate dimension with his release Becky (The Girl With Autumn Leafed Hair). Melodies are haunting but the mood is kept light and positive in swirling synthscape of sparkling emotions. A genuinely beautiful piece of music, which is also available for FREE download currently.




Sunglasses Kid rocked my world to the foundations this week, his blend of authentic sounds and deep passion for the 80s has given his music a superb tone and atmosphere. My 80s Romance is the perfect introduction to this artist and really displays his understanding of synth romance music. Many, many thanks the fellow synthficionado Jarred Hageman for enlightening me to this producer.




Zombie Hyperdrive has exploded onto this scene with his own blend of soundtrack synth stylings that really caught my attention. Skylight is a true epic of stupendous power and drama. The Carpenter-esque bassline leads into smooth synth melodies and highlighted by high energy guitars. Massive in scope, this composition is totally bitchen to the max.




The final stop off in this week's tour around the 80s synth scene comes courtesy of Mitch Murder and his new piece High Performance. Mitch's adventures into the avant garde continue with his most 'fusion' sounding track yet. The energies spike and fall with total precision and the music takes on a really cool 'live-jam' kind of air towards the mid section and beyond. Beautifully orchestrated from beginning to end.



The wraps it up for another Weekend Update on Synthetix.FM. I'll be back to normally scheduled programming throughout the week ahead with more gems from the 80s inspired synth scene. 'Til then stay 80s and keep on rockin.