Yesterday Frenchman Tommy, one of the leading lights of the second wave of SynthWave producers, and hands down one of the best SynthWave producers out there, released his début full length album, Outer Space Adventurer. With a handful if singles and EPs behind him, Tommy’s body of work has always impressed and seen this prolific producer rise above his contemporises both in terms of musicality and production.Now his album is here we are glad to report, it was worth the wait.
The soundtrack to an imaginary space opera epic, Outer Space Adventurer is a musical journey, one track flowing effortlessly to the next, sliding from one mood to the next, as it lays out a narrative of interstellar exploration. Did we mention it was long too? Twenty tracks of blissed out Sci-Fi SynthWave ranging from high energy Italo workouts to dreamy introspective mood pieces. The whole album is quite the masterpiece, there’s far too much awesomeness to catalogue it all right here, so hear are four of our favourites from Outer Space Adventurer. Blast Off Into Space is the first proper track on the album and where the Italo vibe really gets going. Punchy arpeggios create a rock solid groove for Tommy’s shimmering space age synth line to dance atop. The combination of the rhythm section, steady and mechanical and the keys exuding a sense of wonder realty sets the scene for the album’s story. Destination Ultime is the kind of track where Tommy let’s his Vangelis-esque side shine. A beautifully atmospheric piece, layers of synthesizer goodness and soaring lead lines convey a total futuristic fascination. The Hour Has Come To Fight is, I suppose, the albums action set piece. Far from brutal though, The Hour Has Come To Fight is a bright slab of retro ElectroPop. Energetic and euphoric it really feels like the album’s kinetic high point. The duelling square and sine lead lines are pure synth joy. Fugitives And Hunters is another of Tommy’s more introspective works. Pounding ‘80’s drums and an ominous ambience are tempered with some optimistic sounding keys that seem to soar over the lush tonal pallet below. If you are at all a fan of synth music, of ‘80’s sounds, or even Sci-Fi, then Tommy’s Outer Space Adventurer is an essential album, and a benchmark for the new breed of SynthWave.
♫ Tommy – Blast Off Into Space
♫ Tommy – Destination Ultime
♫ Tommy – The Hour Has Come To Fight
♫ Tommy – Fugitives And Hunters
Tommy’s Outer Space Adventurer is out now,
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