Rolling Synthwave/Retrowave/Outrun 2017 Thread

new material from gunship.
well, a remix of a track by lionshare.
the video has a lot of the usual visual cliches, but still

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6b8XE5J0PY

could it be that when gunship get around to release their 2nd album it could be the album that brings the genre out into the open ?

* lionface.

ftr : i aint all into that remix.

however, it's obvious as to what gunship have done though (especially before she starts to sing),
and so, gives me hope for their new material.
now if kavinsky got his ass in gear, and made a follow up album, then things could become really interesting.

Das mörtal released a new album, "Always Loved" -- on bandcamp for $10 Canadian. Also streaming on spotify.

I'm liking it, but its cover art is pretty dumb though, not a fan of "oooh sexy naked ladies." style covers. Oh well.

Current favorite track is "Dark Alley Intercourse" (yeah, I know...) -- it has some nice syth lines and a good grove, and also rad oldskool modem sounds as percussion. Overall I like the album but I dunno, it does seem kinda sexist without any subversive/ironic twists like Perturbator has. Not that the lyrics are sexist or anything, on the couple tracks that have them... btw, the one with Ghost Twin has pretty great vocals, which tend to be kinda subpar in synthwave.

I just prefer my synthwave to have themes about like computers and muscle cars and dystopias rather than "I LOVE TO FUCK DA LADIES!" unless it's being self-aware about it. (ie, how "80's Stallone" made a track called "Party At Kitty & Stud's")

But it's really solid stuff, Das mörtal def. produces fun, exciting music!

https://dasmortal.bandcamp.com/album/always-loved
https://open.spotify.com/album/1AfVc3caLiISHB5yzSwbLw

JG Thirlwell (yes, the Foetus guy) has made a synthwave album under the name Xordox; it's coming out next month on Editions Mego. There's one track up on Soundcloud:

https://soundcloud.com/editionsmego/xordox-diamonds-emego-240

The whole thing is really good. Much more TD movie soundtrack than 80s video game music, and slightly more ambitious at times than the rest (some of it was recorded at the EMS studio in Stockholm).

yeah, saw that re foetus - no doubt at some point i will order the cd.

in other news : looks like the carpenter brut 'trilogy' set is getting a full release thereby pissing off people who have paid through the nose for their limited vinyl editions !

oh, and you have not see, kung fury, then may i suggest you put aside 30 mins and just enjoy its totally over the top, but clearly synthwave influenced brilliance (scene member, mitch murder is involved in the soundtrack).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS5P_LAqiVg

no idea if this is the right thread for this, but there sort of a chiptune supergroup record feat Disasterpeace and Alex Mauer out now:

http://music.disasterpeace.com/album/ram-son

mostly 1-2 minute tracks, all of which sound like game themes from the 80s

or 90s really

i once saw dj scotchegg live on his gameboy - is that chiptune ?

not my kinda thing.

checked the link : nope, sorry, not for me.
and not what i would put in the synthwave vibe at all, but hey, i am sure there are some that would ..

http://i.imgur.com/CXzBlJ7.jpg

I'm listening to Timecop1983 - Lovers, Pt. 2 EP (more like a short album). It's a companion to the same kind of thing called Lovers, Pt. 1. which I guess I slept on...

It reminds me of FM-84 in a lot of ways - but also close to this thing I already said to describe something that also has the same ~vibes~ (in some respects):

I'd describe it as emo-pop of the 00's mixed with the instrumentation and arrangement of OMD's tender/depressio songs.

But more modulated, gated, and padded. Specifically the song, Girls (feat. Seawaves). It's a highlight of the release. Many of the vocals are really good but many of them I could do without, which seems to be what I think about a lot of synthwave vocal tracks. Projects in general seem to be improving in this area; groups are using more professional (or at least interesting) singers it seems. But also, there's plenty of tracks without vocals on this.

It might be my favorite s y n t h w a v e thing of the year so far!

https://open.spotify.com/album/6oHDr7gQEd7ciyWa5gsptX
https://timecop1983.bandcamp.com/album/lovers-ep-part-ii

Nice one

Agree re: vocals

the timecop 1983 album 'childhood memories' is pretty damn good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GT3qf8uW1hg

This is a good one. This stuff makes me feel like I'm 11 years old again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcZMhwptSrg

This one's really good

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLHlX8A_ReI

Huh, it just hit me that synthwave's a continuation of Italo disco, plus a whole bunch of other stuff.

i found a bunch of this stuff via youtube, appropriately enough. i am a fan of The Midnight in particular.

with the very on-the-nose 80s movie montages and emo-style singing i sort of thought this was a strictly internet-only phenomenon generally. those two things signified pure shut-in to me for some reason. but here's some live footage! people are into this shit!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdsPbdLBKyo

also is it just me or do all these artists have a ton of stuff scattered across a bunch of different youtube accounts? extra confusing and fun.

but here's some live footage! people are into this shit!

yeah US tours by the folks mentioned earlier, are packing the crowds in.
and alongside youtube, the main outlet for this stuff seems to be bandcamp.

other names that have i have enjoyed in last few months : facexhugger, dreddd, elevn, and crockett.

For those compiling your year-end lists, this playlist includes all the available tracks on this thread, organized roughly chronologically in order of mention:

ILM's 2017 Rolling Synthwave-Retrowave-Outrun Thread Spotify Playlist

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nice. thought people had got bored and moved on.

please add

etheral delusions version of 'in the air tonight' to the list.
deadly avenger : the legacy
dreddd : motorcycle

i approach my 5th decade on the planet but in a position to wear either one perturbator t-shirt, oe a choice of 2 gunship t-shirts.
i clearly need to grow the fuck up.

nah, dude that's awesome!

I am trying to listen to more of this stuff but the lazerhawk one is good and almost transcends the genre imho

synthwave vs the festive season :

https://etherealdelusions.bandcamp.com/track/all-i-want-for-christmas

I finally made it to that Xordox album in my listening queue and it's fun and recommended for anyone who likes this stuff, especially the John Carpenter soundtrack + homage fans

Xordox ?

massive vhs glitch bundle for buttons.

https://groupees.com/vhsglitch

currently in process of downloading it all now...

what i have heard i like.

Sweet thank you

i suspect that this whole thing will now dwindle away as there really has not been a definitive crossover act/album.
yeah, advertising execs will suck up a few of the crew, and there will be a lot of AV syncs that will hopefully pay the bills.
but as for a big album that blows the scene up, i think the moment has passed.
i mean, even perturbator has moved on.

loving the VHS Glitch collection that i got via that offer earlier.
best so far is the MORAL DECAY album.

new album by GosT

https://blood-music.bandcamp.com/album/possessor

more variety in the sound design, i.e. its not just one solid slab of distorted synth (of course there is a lot of that style, as thats just the way with GosT).
and after i got over the excess of 'garruth', some of its rather bloody good.

I really liked last years Occams Laser album.

i only have Ascension by OL and its very much in the same groove as GosT with a love for over driven synth noise, and yeah, very enjoyable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D__6hwqjZAs

has this been linked to here/elsewhere on ilx? it feels like it belongs here.

channel also has Everybody Wants To Rule The World playing in an empty shopping centre and Don't You (Forget About Me) playing in an empty shopping centre, among others

far out.. there's actually a subgenre of vaporwave called "mallsoft" that aims to recreate such atmospheres

ok, so its just the standard songs playing in an empty shopping mall (urgh, for a uk'r that very phrase ... ) ?
sorry, but, i dont get it.
yeah yeah, zombies etc.
but ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQaH3lh-CA4

meanwhile GUNSHIP are back with new material and i love it ..
hopefully there is a new album as i still listen to their debut on a regular basis.

mallsoft in general makes more sense if you think of it as 'ambient' music or whatever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qut4OjmBS0

01. Welcome 0:00
02. Lobby 4:05
03. Elevator 8:18
04. Restroom 12:16
05. Abandoned 17:17
06. Bookstore 21:52
07. Escalator 26:40
08. 2nd Floor 29:54
09. Food Court 33:59
10. Northwest Plaza 38:06

would buy an album with that track listing (hello john carpenter) !

as for the so called mallsoft genre .. nah.

https://catsystemcorp.bandcamp.com/album/palm-mall

blood music is back in action, and pushing the metal vs synthwave groove hard.
the aforementioned GoST album followed up by the Hollywood Burns, and MASTER BOOT RECORD releases are now up for grabs.
not totally sure re the MBR album as its very metal/vocals at times, but i may succumb.

np: Replicant - The Reckoning. pretty good!

also zoned out to a whole afternoon of 'dungeon synth' which is a whole other thing but adjacent maybe?

link ?
and WTF is "dungeon synth".
sounds awful.
in other news.

this is the best proper synthwave album i have heard in a long time :

https://deadlyavenger.bandcamp.com/album/everyday-is-kill

massive budget production levels as this was made while making crap for high profile tv shows etc.

ok the vocals are a little silly on the vampire tip:

https://open.spotify.com/album/3kSCSwWkDmGUQeImiOiNnc?si=-VjUNR39TkimE7ybr-ifXA

here's a whole channel of dungeon synth stuff

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UChmm356a5qe1luUsoatAgjA

as with all things bm-related, i have no idea if these guys are nazis! be careful

another impressive bundle for a few quid :

https://groupees.com/synth12

looking forward to hearing quite a few of these albums (scandroid, occams laser, and facexhugger).

https://open.spotify.com/track/7osXqK8lh9HmSyi9LY6yq3?si=-tYOIgKZTr-AYY6fqCBNDw

Advisory Circle - be seeing you