Modern Synthwave icon NINA has teamed with Ricky Wilde for her new single Causeway. Released by the scenes stalwart label NRW, Causeway honors NINA’s standard for top notch nostalgic pop. For us, NINA represents the pinnacle within this vibe.
The nostalgia is undeniable but impossible to place. You hear clues to chart your influential map but when you dig into the music of the 80s you’ll never find a NINA replicant, just inspirational fragments you fight to force together. No matter how hard you try the pieces never fit exact. That’s because this sound is as much a testament to modern electronic dance music as it is and continuation of the classics.
You don’t get this sound without Daft Punk and the influence they had on founders like Kavinsky and Com Truise. What NINA brought was a voice to honor the aura known to icons like Madonna, but with a more moody underground flavor akin to Human League. Still, when you do a side by side, she doesn’t sound like either. Thats the magic trick of Synthwave, that’s why we adore it.
Hear Causeway now on our Best New Synthwave Playlist.
Sasha & The Bear are entrancing on their recent Something you said. This dark electro pop essence suits their imaginative compositional touch. The harmonic movements amplify the drama as the swirling production fuels cinematic visions full of wonder and mystery. The vibe reflects recent meditations on mortality. This period was spurred by grief, as member Dov recently lost his Mother under tragic circumstances. Their bond and commitment shows in the brevity of this work. Art this beautiful feels bound to a higher existential mission, one that sees beyond the futility of mainstream pillars and into more elusive modes of perceptual success.
Leaning into their retro pop tendencies suits that aura, as it’s sonically ripe with the feeling of futuristic surprise. It’s what made it so true to its moment in time when technological advances came in unprecedented bunches. For passerby’s it’s a glorious vibe, but for the rest of us we can feel it’s something deeper. Stylistically its a sure thing for fans of Chromatics and Christine and the Queens, as well as synthwave fans at large.
Sasha & The Bear are featured on our Best New Synthwave Playlist.
JANE caught our attention with the playful appeal of her new single Fast Cars. The vibe permeates with chic nostalgia while reflecting recent mainstream breakthroughs by The Weeknd and Dua Lipa. Like them it mirrors an aesthetic rooted in the underground synthwave scene while adapting into new electro pop stylistic forums. Beyond the nostalgic production JANE thrives within this nocturnal vibe. Her affect reflects the wonder of a young person ready to explore the night life. It’s innocent and shines with the romanticism of first love.
Taken from her press release ” Since the age of 10, JANE has used songwriting as a therapeutic outlet for self-expression, making timeless music that embraces youth and individuality. Her unique voice and talents for playing multiple instruments caught the attention of super producer Eric Zayne (Cee Lo Green, H.E.R, Post Malone) who has served as her mentor and primary producer throughout her career. True to her authentic roots, JANE seeks to inspire and usher in a new era of opportunities for young girls.” For us Fast Cars is the kind of hit single that should win her a wide audience and help her break through.
Hear Fast Cars now on our Best New Synthwave Playlist.
There are a flurry of acts from the glorious seventies you can point to for helping influence the synth heavy pop sound of the eighties. Mostly it’s an aura that came in sporadic doses, Like 10cc’s I’m Not In Love. There are engineers and producers too, known to have pioneered those vibe.
Alan Parsons had his hand in a lot of those classic records, and with his own 1982 single Eye In The Sky replicated that vibe for a new era. But surprisingly, by now, his influence had grown beyond those classics and into the new wave. For 1982, Eye In the Sky feels stuck in the past, until now. Synthwave Producer Damon Mitchell has reimagined this single as a true retro pop classic. It’s not a remix, but rather a straight cover, and we find it delightful.
Hear the cover version now on our Best New Synthwave Playlist.
The Wild Is Calling 