Garth Knight

Garth Knight

Garth Knight is a SynthWave producer from Glasgow. Named, of course, after Garthe Knight, the Hoff’s villainous doppelganger in Knight Rider. He’s been dropping a bunch of new track over the past few days that really have seen him upping his game. Is Garth Knight ready to go from SynthWave newcomer to SynthWave master?

This new crop of tunes thankfully eschew Knight’s previous tendency to slather everything in wailing guitar and sticks to everything that’s great about SynthWave. With a beautiful grasp of melody knight crafts synthesizer mood that effortlessly carry you along with them. Time the Healer is a perfect example of this. Haunting and subtly the moody Italo backing playing off against the more optimistic melody. Both the use of sound and the use of  melody in this track has a Jarre-esque quality to it and just shows how lilting SynthWave can be without loosing any of it’s toughness. City Streets brings things back to a rapid fire Italo place. This tune must be soundtracking some  high speed chase in a dystopian future, all flaying arpeggios and piercing synths fizzing, like rain on neon bulbs. Headstart makes for the best of both worlds, upbeat and poppy with a jump-up Italo bassline and some amazing playing with arpeggios. Garth Knight is definitely a name we want to hear more from in the future, just so long as he keeps a step back from the six-string.

♫ Garth Knight – Time the Healer

♫ Garth Knight – City Streets

♫ Garth Knight – Headstart

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New music from Cinnamon Chasers

Cinnamon Chasers

What an awesome end to the week! Cinnamon Chasers, easily one of our favourite producers of the last few years, has announced the forthcoming release of his new album. As yet the record’s title hasn’t been revealed, but what has been revealed is one of the tracks from it. Dreams And Machines.

It’s the prefect title for the tune. Dreams And Machine perfectly encapsulates what this song is about, the two elements flowing alongside each other in total harmony. The Dreams side of the equation is covered by lush, otherwordly synths. Warm and swelling, the tonal palette Cinnamon Chasers puts to good use here is one of Sci-Fi landscapes, hazy imaginings and cosmic journeys. The Machines bit comes in to play with the pulsating Disco beat, and cut up, vocoded vocals. It’s a brilliant introduction to CC’s new material, and everything we could have asked for. A body shaking bassline and piercing leads, what more could we want. So stoked for this album, roll on September!

♫ Cinnamon Chasers – Dreams And Machines

You can download Dreams And Machines for the small price of a Tweet, right here.

Cinnamon Chasers’ new album is due out 17th September on Modus.

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Jordan F’s ‘Aurora’

jordan-f

Hot on the heels of his reworked Summers Of Tomorrow EP Australian SynthWave superstar Jordan F presents us with a brand new track just in time for a scorching weekend. So if you’re in the mood for something slick and synthy to chill to over the next few days, look no further.

Aurora is a smooth, floaty slice of retro Electro. Fright from the offset, a rich synth melody and driving Italo bassline greet you, pulling you into the track. Walking the line between dreamlike and dancefloor friendly, Aurora tick all the boxes for a blissed out nostalgia jam. The track rises and falls like the ebb and flow of a tide, carrying you along with it. This has to be listened to wearing shades.

Jordan F – Aurora

Summers Of Tomorrow is available right now, for free, at Jordan F’s Bandcamp.

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Vincenzo Salvia’s new EP

Vincenzo Salvia

Italian SynthWave newcomer Vincenzo Salvia offers up the latest release on Future City Records. A new four track EP of some of the finest ‘80’s inspired synth that captured the very essence of the SynthWave scene yet manages to carve out a unique sound all of it’s own.

The Voyage EP kicks off with Midnight Breeze, a rockin’ slice of pounding Italo. The backing of this track is borderline Industrial EBM, marching machine gun beats and a relentless arpeggiated bassline power the track ever forward. But it’s not all hard hitting, this robot army backing track is tempered with some seriously beautiful playing. Salvia’s fingers must be a blur as he crafts, shimmering leads and soaring solos. Ocean Drive brings us closer to the rich ‘80’s movie soundtrack territory as Salvia lays down layer after layer of emotion synth work and melodies that ring out against sweeping cosmic pads. Seaside Cruise is, for us, the EP’s standout, and the track where Vincenzo Salvia indulges his Dreamwave side. Packed with feeling, this track really makes the synth come alive. It’s carefree, summery, nostalgic bliss. And not to be missed. The EP closes on it’s title track, Voyage. A perfect finale of ‘80’s synths, funky beats and uplifting melodies. We’ll definitely be keeping out eye on Mr. Salvia from now on.

Vincenzo Salvia – Voyage

♫ Vincenzo Salvia – Seaside Cruise

Vincenzo Salvia – Midnight Breeze

Vincenzo Salvia’s Voyage EP is out now.

Buy Vincenzo Salvia’s music from:

 

Hot Hot Hawk’s ‘Rise and Down’

Hot Hot Hawk

Russia’s Hot Hot Hawk is at it again! This time the Nu-Disco/SynthWave producer has brought along a vocalist, and the results are fresh as hell. Enlisting Ksenia Popova to land the track a little female charm, Hot Hot Hawk hits the ground running in this smooth slice of relaxed summer soul.

Popova vocals has a slight Russian twang to them, which no only gives the track an originality in the Nu-Disco pantheon, but also immediately endears the listener to the track. Add to that Hot Hot Hawks’ deep Disco grooves, loaded with stabbing synths , bouncing basslines and shuffling drums, and you have a track fit for the sexiest of beach parties. The combination of pulsating Disco and sharp floating melodies is a masterstroke.

Hot Hot Hawk (Feat. Ksenia Popova) – Rise And Down

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Magic Sword reMixes Purity Ring

Purity Ring

Hot on the heels of last month’s feature on American SynthWaver Magic Sword, the man stopped by the electronic rumors Inbox with his latest reMix. 4AD’s Purity Ring get the reMix treatment this time as Magic Sword whips up their deep, dubby, shoegazey Indie-ElectroPop into retro synth frenzy.

Magic Sword’s reMix of Obedear does the seemingly impossible. It keeps the moody atmosphere of the track but injects it with some deep Italo sounds. It’s an enveloping blanket of rich synthesizer sounds juxtaposed with a toytown electronic melody. Magic Sword effortlessly blends the otherworldly, ominous, tone of Obedear with his own 80s inspired electronica, the result is unique and immensely listenable.

Purity Ring – Obedear (Magic Sword reMix)

Obedear is taken from Purity Ring’s

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Casio Social Club’s ‘Crush’

When is a reMix not a reMix? How much of the original needs to remain intact for it to be a reMix, or how little should be there before you can claim it as an original tune, and sell it as such? It’s a debate we had on Twitter this weekend. Honestly we’re not sure, if the entire vocal of a track, verse, chorus, verse, chorus is present with a new backing, is that a reMix or an original? For now, we’re on the fence, but it is something that crosses our minds from time to time. A pertinent discussion as it turns out, as one of our favourite UK producers Casio Social Club, Mullet Records head honcho Justin Winks,  soon releases his track Crush.

The Jets 1985 hit Crush On You is one of our guilty pleasures, it always puts us in a good mood. It has graced these pages on more than one occasion, and reMix or not, we do love a good updating of the tune. Casio Social Club’s new version of the track, Crush,  is pure Electro Boogie joy with a Piano House injection. It’s got that Casio Social Club style we love so much, those retro beats and funky as hell digital bassline, here complimented by an infectious piano line and the sing-along catchiness that is Crush On You. Ahead of the release, Mullet are kindly giving away the Radio Edit of the track. This track is the epitome of summer DiscoPop fun, don’t worry about it, just enjoy.

Casio Social Club – Crush (Radio Edit)

Casio Social Club’s Crush is released 7th August as a Juno exclusive followed by worldwide release on the 14th via Mullet Records.

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Sébastien Tellier reMixed by Tommy

Sébastien Tellier

So, as we heave shut the storm door against the lashing out inbox will undoubtedly get from the flood of reMixes of Sébastien Tellier’s Russian Attractions, we’re pretty sure this is the last post we’ll do on these mixes. We’ll probably do a round-up of the best toward the end of the reMix competition, but before that there is just time to sneak in a look at French SynthWave merchant Tommy’s excellent, atmospheric, mix of the track.

Tommy outdoes himself with this one, putting himself way up in the competition rankings. His reMix flows along with a subtle brilliance. With a space age 80’s moody, this mid-paced mix envelopes itself in swirls of warm, thick retro synth sounds and sparking lead lines that perfectly compliment Tellier’s romantic croon. Tommy grasp on brining his SynthWave sound to a Pop song is flawless, with harmonious verses that soar into the lush chords of the chorus with the confidence of the best ElectroPop. Stunning work from Tommy.

♫ Sébastien Tellier – Russian Attractions (Tommy reMix)

Russian Attractions is taken from Sébastien Tellier‘s new album My God Is Blue available now via Record Makers.

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Quixotic’s ‘Golden Boy’

quixotic

Hungarian Dreamwave producer Quixotic has once again rolled a whole heap if influences into one dancefloor groover. This time it’s not galactic Funk that dominates his work it’s a cool summery vibe.

Golden Boy rocks in the Italo and SynthWave direction you’d expect from this guy, but rolls in a little Tropical sheen, we’d go so far as saying there’s a little of the Balearic to this tune. Particularly in the percussion, which brings a smooth island flavour to the track. Atop all this is a thumping digital House bassline and some space piano mixing it up with with the Dreamwave synths and the rousing 80’s lead line. It’s about SynthWave embraces the summer!

Quixotic – Golden Boy

Check out more from Quixotic on SoundCloud.

Hekr And Kov

Hekr And Kov

Hekr And Kov’s Lunar Launch EP is the inaugural release on their own Lunar Boogie imprint. This Canadian duo have compiled four tracks of Science Fiction electronics and retro futurism via heavy bass and robo synth goodness.

The EP kicks off with Cyclops Attack!, a punchy Electro track that combines otherwordly, and haunting, synth tones with a relentless pounding Italo groove. The coupling of pounding digital bass and machine vocoded vocals make this track a killer Sci-Fi opening to the EP. Hard hitting, electronic and loaded with robo Funk. Magma Mobile takes things in a more cosmic Funk direction, rolling slap bass gives the tune it’s Disco backing. Stabbing synths and a future Funk groove, with added talk box vocals, give the track a hook that will stay in your head all day. Little Nova joins the dots between Kraftwerk and Italo, by way of Moroder, pulsating analog arpeggios, factory line synth patterns and space Disco keys layer up together to create the soundtrack to an advanced metropolis while Saturn Voyage is a funky journey to the furthest reaches of our solar system. It’s an impressive début, both for the label and this duo, one recommended for lovers of synthesizers, space age grooves and retro future beats.

♫ Hekr And Kov – Cyclops Attack!

♫ Hekr And Kov – Magma Mobile

♫ Hekr And Kov – Little Nova

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