Ok, so this time around I’ll let out the music engineer geek in me. Two great tracks, but pushing it from a strict “eighties production” perspective.
But of course, as always, they are totally worth hearing. In fact they are great.
The Floyd – Neon Spirit
This is the kind of synthwave I am seeking for this column. Ultra-light electro-pop from the first to last second. I mean, absolutely every component is classic here, from the drum machine sounds to the synth-pads to the mild, innocent vocals ala Pet Shop Boys.
The only thing that raise a yellow card here is in regards to the production: The excessive use of sidechain. We didn’t do that in the eighties, that nonsense was introduced to the mainstream in this millennia. So a stark warning for that one. The rest though, is well beyond approved!
Coach & Ref – Infinity
Ok, if that vocalist isn’t a Prince fan I shall eat my hat. And what a remarkably funky and tight track! It’s actually so good that I almost declined it for our column here – it is definitely oldschool but at the same time so well sounding that it just had to have been produced later. I’m also not that convinced by the use of lowpass filter here (in context of legitimacy).
But I’ll not let the producer geek in me get the better of me: It’s a damn cool track, and totally deserves your attention!
Both of these tracks are added to our damn fine Synthwave playlist, “More Eighties than the 80s itself”, where we primarily collect vocal based synthwave. A list worth following if synthwave is your thing!