Tag: synthwave

Asleep in the Creek 1-2, by Diamondstein

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Asleep in the Creek is a brooding and intricate 2-track collaborative release featuring the sounds of Diamonstein together with the photos of Kait Fischer, brought to us by Doom Trip Records.

The tracks themselves capture the essence of the visuals perfectly – hovering in a melancholy ambience that is as thick as florescent haze caught on the twilight mist. Touches and tastes of hope and splendor drift throughout – creating a thoughtful and considerate atmosphere. The subtle progressions on which the songs are constructed lay a dreamlike foundation – which when combined with the visuals of Fischer’s Photography is only enhances and broadens the emotional applications, swirling the listener in nostalgia and wistfulness.

It’s quite a beautiful listen, with so much atmosphere condensed into 2 tracks you really have no excuse not to give it a spin!

Neon China 9.0 – holoJamz / AsiaWave Collab Mix

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Collaborative effort between AsiaWave and HoloJamz – Neon China 9.0 is a deliciously atmospheric synthwave journey with big nostalgic and emotional vibes. Enjoy and support these awesome labels, curators and musicians!

Self Titled EP, by CTRL 94

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Fresh things from Dream Museum Records – it’s the self-titled EP from CTRL 94 (Kayla Smith). A 7-track project that drifts around ambient vaporwave and synthwave styles, with a heavy lean towards a luscious feeling of nostalgia. Loads of playful synthesizers and hearty drum machine grooves keep the listeners attention throughout the project. There’s a very strong sense of melody on a lot of these tracks, lending to the feeling of nostalgia even more especially in the middle few tracks, which sound distinctly like some b-sides off a mid-80’s producers power pop demos in the absolute best way possible. Funky flavors of reminiscent of The Time and other prince protégés, memorable riffs sticking in your head throughout the day, beckoning for you to return. Download the digital or pick up a Cassette while they’re still available!

THIS IS A BAND, by Gould ’72

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Fresh from Gould ’72 (a.k.a. All These Fingers) is this quaint 3-track project THIS IS A BAND. And oh yes, a band it is. True band jams. These tunes remind me of playing tunes in the garage with friends – flavors of pavement-esqe noodlings melded together with steady grooves. It’s an ultimately satisfying take on ATF’s typical sound which tends to be sample based with a healthy dose of synths and boom baps. The style translates surprisingly well to a “Band” format, with fuzzy guitars and chugging bass occupying the real estate that used to be owned by synths and pads. Even with ROCKMAN I LOVE YOU, being perhaps the most alt-rock sounding of the 3 tracks, with an infectious melody in the hook performed by 2 drunk Brian May clones – it’s pretty damn terrific and highly recommended!

Pulpit, by Twin Columns

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Freshly re-upped bythe gang at Hairs aBlazin’ is 2016’s long player from Twin Columns titled Pulpit. Impressively wide in scope – this concept album really scratches the sountrack-vibe-itch. The mellow synthwave downtempo backbone of the project is the perfect groundwork for moody atmospheres and wonky melodies. There are huge Angelo Badalamenti flavors here as well, with certain progressions and instrumentation being used in a way that makes this area we wander feel Twin Peaks adjacent! Weighing in at over 80 minutes, it’s a very satisfying and immersive experience if you allow yourself to get lost in it….

Thanks to Hairs aBlazin’, this one is seeing daylight again with a fresh cassette release! If that’s not your thing, the digital release is available for only one dollar – so if you enjoy throw a little support their way!

Twilight Magnum, by Magenta Room

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New from the family at Vivarium Recordings is a stellar new effort from Gareth Sloan (Halogen Star) via a new moniker Magenta Room. Lots going on in this record – holding steady to his past output, there are seriously infectious melodies and licks happening. There is also an overarching mellowness to the record – a sense of comfort and ease – making the album an almost meditative and healing experience.

Tracks like Northern Skies are simply lush beyond imagination – with big retro vibes harkening back to the best offerings from Windham Hill to touches of Eno and Emerald Web. Supremely satisfying and easy to listen to while also being rewarding to investigate deeper. If you find yourself digging it, definitely check out Gareth’s efforts under his Halogen Star moniker – a different shade of Magenta….

Gothic Tech [ RE-ViSiONED], by ASVMR

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Originally released last year via Vivarium Recordings and written between 2017-2018 – Gothic Tech sees a rebirth in the form of a remastered edition on Holloway Tapes. Its lush cyberpunk dystopia sounds – thick with textural and atmospheric experimentation. The project carries a slightly dark tone – slightly lost with the reinterpretation of the artwork in my opinion, though it is a aesthetically pleasing design – the sound holds true to the Gothic namesake. Huge chambers serve as worshiping centers to the code of the rhythm and bass.

Happy to see this one get a re-release. Same as it ever was, but a little bit of polish on the exterior. Definitely worth visiting again if you’re familiar, and a perfect opportunity to dive into ASVMR‘s catalog…

Cold night, by TWIN COLUMNS

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Nice new sounds from TWIN COLUMNS – lush and satisfying synthwave with a melancholic ambiance. Melodies and riffs for days, most of which would be at home on either a Vangelis album or perhaps Twin Peaks soundtrack. Majestic and thoughtful, with just the right splashes of nostalgia and quirk. Quite an enjoyable listen – perhaps if we’re lucky we will see a physical release for this one!

forest, by gengVr

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Fresh from Tomorrow Entertainment Records is this quaint audio journey – forest by gengVr.

Hop on board the next train out of the city and deep into the countryside – take your Walkman or your Panasonic for a long walk through the forest. YOUR forest! You will wander for 24 hours, the soundtrack following faithfully along. As you microdose the atmosphere around you via the hourly tracks, you are presented with quite a diverse array of sounds and influences – lo-fi hip hop churned together with mysterious plunderphonics makes for quite the unique and experimental flavor of vapor. Quite a satisfying journey indeed…

HOMEVIDEO, by Gould ’72

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Gould ’72 is the newish/alternate project from established beatsmith All These Fingers seeing the producer take a more direct approach to songwriting, foregoing the tried-and-true methods of sample smashing and chopping. HOMEVIDEO showcases some serious chillwave styles that at times boarder on post-vaporwave. LORIMAR DEVELOPMENT HELL has to be my favorite track simply because of the synth tones used, it could have been a long-lost track to some video games OST, the backdrop to a mystical water level! If you aren’t familiar with ATF beats, Gould ’72 is a great place to start… And c’mon, theres an ALAN PARSONS PROJECT COVER!!!