I’ve often said that my main criteria on synthwave is that it sounds legitimate. Both technically (lay off that heavy side-chain, guys!), but also artistically. And the test is simple: Does it trigger eighties images in my mind? If it does, then both mentioned aspects are in order.
Here’s three fantastic finds, where absolutely everything are in order.
American Wolf – Nano
A dreamy opening of todays Synthwave Saturday. Big, massive arrangement in a wall-of-sound fashion. Lovely, airy vocals pads out across the soundscape in classic eighties reverbed ways, giving us associations to those neon lights and pastel pants we never really can get tired of if we are to be honest about it.
The world that were so elegantly recreated in GTA Vice City, and made the entry still the most popular in the series. By the way, I believe I’ve read that in GTA6 we indeed will return to Vice City!
Droid Bishop – The Light
It’s hard to write this column without regularly return to my own teen years, in the 80s. And this track makes me think of El Debarge and their “Rhythm Of The Night”. That track were such a guilty pleasure of mine back then. Funky, light, feelgood vibes.
This is 100% legitimate eighties vibes. More eighties than the eighties itself!
Tristan Tricks – We Left Behind A Fire
The honour of rounding off this session is given to an ultra-classic synth pop sound from Germany. Fuzzy guitars, big sawtooth synths, snares with loads of reverb – it’s just all done totally according to the sound of the eighties. It’s done according to the German sound of the eighties. Alphaville, anyone?
It just sounds so perfect. Perfect for our synthwave playlist.
All three are added to our fantastic synthwave playlist, “More Eighties Than The 80s Itself”, where only the absolute finest, 100% legitimate and predominantly vocal based synthwave releases are found.