Carbon Based Lifeforms - The Path

Blood Music: 1998/2018

I'd heard whispers of music out of the Carbon Based Lifeforms camp that existed before they landed on Ultimae Records, but never felt much need to explore for it. I figured these early productions were simply lost artifacts of a duo still finding their feet, any choice material from those sessions eventually called into service on later albums. I had no idea their start reached all the way back into the tracker scene, from which evolved into acid techno as Notch. Along with Mikael Lindqvist, they released a couple albums of such on MP3.com, but they had aspirations for something grander, the sort of genre-bending, music-fusing, epic LP that might be said in the same breath as such classics like Lifeforms, U.F.Orb, Chill Out, 76:14, and whatever other under-heralded records you wish to throw in there (more love for Journey To The Sun, yo'!).

Okay, I'm overselling the story some, but compared to what the trio was doing prior, The Path does come off almost over-ambitious, full of ideas and influences but not quite able to pull it off. It's certainly fine for a debut from artists getting their feet wet, but compared to where Misters Segerstad and Hedberg went in the following decade, comes off strangely dated too. Still, even with Carbon Based Lifeforms and Sync24 their focus, The Path floated about the digital domain for those who were interested in hearing it, where it remained for two decades. Like, no way Ultimae would re-issue it into a spiffy CD. That Blood Music though... (Blood Music!!)

After a three-track intro that, honestly, should have been left on the cutting floor (those tracker roots really showing there), things kick off proper on Rise To Tomorrow, a moody little number of graceful pads, subtle vocal samples, dubby rhythms, burbling acid, wormy synths, and didgeridoo. Getting some serious Planet Dog vibes off it. Same with Sinful Things and Or Plan B. Meanwhile, Machinery and Submerged feel more in line with vintage Fax+, Dreamshore Forest goes pure dreamtime ambient, while Contaminated Area and Last Breath... Um, well, like I said, still figuring things out on the production front.

As for any musical hints of future CBL tunes, you can't hear Station Blue without immediately thinking their breakout MOS 6581. The subtle bassline, dubby beats, and distant samples are of the same genetic backbone, just not really explored much further. Station Blue is like a simpler, evolutionary step to the heights that MOS 6581 would soar to.

Which kinda' sums up The Path, to be honest. In a vacuum, it holds up pretty good as a lost artifact of '90s psy-chill, but can't hold a candle to CBL's future works. I'm glad Blood Music finally gave this a proper CD release, as there are a few gems that deserved unearthing. Just don't go into it expecting Ultimae levels of production. I don't think even Aes Dana's immaculate mixdowns could have rescued some of those piano tones.

Dynatron - The Legacy Collection Vol II

Blood Music: 2016/2019

A slight correction on the previous Dynatron Legacy Collection: these compilations just recently saw hard copy editions released, digital versions first appearing in 2016. That would explain why it took me so long to actually pick these up, what with holding out for CD options and all. I'm not sure what surprises me more, that it took Blood Music three years to make said CDs and vinyl, or that it's taken me two additional years to actually review them.

Okay, probably the former. You'd think the label would have wanted to capitalize on the trendy interest in all things synthwave while it was still hot. Were the pressing plants booked so far in advance for up-front material, that poor Dynatron was simply shuffled that far down the queue? Or maybe they were trying to time it such that a pair of re-issue compilations would drum up interest in the artist's return? Sadly, the former still seems more likely. It's been two years and still but a single EP from Dynatron.

Anyhow, The Legacy Collection Vol. II rounds up all of Jeppe Hasseriis' wayward compilation material for a tidy nine-tracker. Which honestly isn't that much music, making me wonder why this wasn't just lumped in with the first Legacy Collection as a double-LP. If there's enough interest to buy two separate volumes, surely there's just as much interest in buying the same amount in one package? Maybe so, but when regular pressing plant time already comes at a premium, can you imagine trying to get a double-LP pressed? Just ain't worth it, mang!

Still, I was interested enough in this material to spring for it. After all, it includes the track that first got me intrigued by Dynatron, Jovian Giants, as appeared on the digital-only Aphasia Records compilation Artificial Afterlife. Surely the rest would be just as dope! Well, the other Aphasia item that opens this CD up, Stars Of The Night from Futura Compilation, is nice enough. Doesn't quite hit with the same cosmic adventure other Dyantron tunes do, but maybe this was meant to be a stargazing tune.

Can't say I was as keen on follow-up Dust Of The Saturn, which already hurts my grammatical senses. This one comes from The 80s Dream Compilation Tape – Volume 2 on NewRetroWave (not actually released on tape), and if this tune's anything to go by, taps into the cheesier synth-pop vein of synthwave – too retro, not enough future. I kinda' want to say the same for Out Of The Center, but because this came out on a compilation called PLUTO: a synth odyssey from the non-N.A.S.A. affiliated New Horizons Records, I just can't hate on it. The little planetoid got dumped on enough by the 'proper' planet community, it needs all the love it can get!

There's some okay stuff after, including a few tunes with guitar action, but far from Dynatron's best work. Guess he saved his choice material for the albums.

Hollywood Burns - Invaders

Blood Music: 2018

Is synthwave dead? Haha, no, of course it isn't, what a silly thing to insinuate. No genre truly dies, and this one's too young to go into remission just yet. It does, however, feel like the hype behind it has tapered off, which isn't that surprising. The genre's been around for about a decade now, and had its peak of popularity in about half that time. Most of the scene leaders are now firmly established and entrenched, band-wagon jumpers and copy-cats having come and gone. That doesn't mean there isn't room for some new hotness to emerge and make a run for the top of the mountain, but such things seem fewer and further between. It's not enough to just slap some retro synths, Moroder rhythms, and Carpenter themes into your music anymore. A healthy scene needs evolution to remain vibrant, but how can it when the whole point of its existence is thematically singular?

Hollywood Burns may have found a way. If synthwave is all about celebrating the soundtracks to an '80s that never existed, why not extend that to other decades? Say, the '50s, when bombastic Biblical epic scores could rub shoulders with pulpy sci-fi sound experiments?

Opener Opener Titles doesn't shirk on letting you know what you're in for. The orchestra is in full swing, with a Theremin in support (or something emulating it). Don't worry though, folks, you didn't accidentally get something way off the beaten path. This is still a synthwave album from a French producer on Blood Music. Follow-up Black Saucers is full-on Perturbator stylee, is what I'm saying. Just, with more '70s retro synths and pulpy sci-fi sounds, is all, and a wonderful shot of fresh vitality in a genre that can sound all too samey the deeper you dig.

I guess I should mention that a couple of the tracks that appear on Invaders previously appeared on his debut EP First Contact. Given how strong tunes like the aforementioned Black Saucers and Came To Annihilate (vocoder!) are, it's plenty 'nuff to build a full concept album on. And what concept is that? Eh, running through a matinee of old movies being played in some grungy '80s back-alley theatre, I guess. Can't escape that synthwave aesthetic.

But it all sounds in service of laying out all manner of different orchestral swells and wailing synth noises while riding out aggro dark-synth rhythms. Bazaar Of The Damned gets in on some Arabic harmonies, and now you're in a wild chase in some desert adventure movie. Scherzo No. 5 In Death Minor has creepy poltergeist chasing you through foggy graveyards. Revenge Of The Black Saucers has U.F.O.s chasing you through L.A. skylines. Have I mentioned a lot of Invaders as a real 'outrun' feel to it?

So a solid, unique album in synthwave canon. I can't wait to hear what else Hollywood Burns has done! What do you mean he hasn't released anything since? Oh no, please don't be another 'one and done' artist!

Perturbator - B-Sides And Remixes, Vol. I

Blood Music: 2018

I should have gotten this other collection of Perturbator remixes and b-sides. Only reason I initially bought Vol. II over Vol. I was because I liked Vol. II's cover art more. If Blood Music is going to keep having sales though, there's no excuse in not completing the set. So here's B-Sides And Remixes, Vol. I, with... I assume is Perturbator's Night Driving Avenger companion? Side-kick? Or possibly nemesis? I'm not sure where she fits in the greater Perturbator lore, all the associated artwork having our motorcycle riding, black leather clad, boss helmet-wearing protagonist out night-avenging solo. Gosh, might she even be a cyborg? She does have a mannequin look about her, but what are those tendrils writhing up her arm and thigh? There's so much wicked-cool possibilities one could glean from this art, but we'll get no answers in this compilation. Unless Dead Astronauts somehow figure into the greater Perturbator darksynth universe. It wouldn't surprise if Gost does.

Anyhow, if you recall my review of B-Sides And Remixes, Vol. II, you may remember I spent more time talking about James Kent's tour than any of the music on that release. I suppose it's because there just wasn't much to say, about as typical a collection of b-sides and rarities as you'd expect to hear from a synthwave super-star. What I neglected to mention was beyond the video game and horror movie rubs, there weren't any actual remixes on that edition, all of them featured on the first volume.

Despite having a full LP's worth of remixes here, Kent hadn't lent his talents out that often. Four of the ten tracks available come from the Dead Astronauts' self-titled EP, where Perturbator did his own stylistic alternate versions on each tune. Probably the most interesting of these is In Disguise, where the original is standard synthwavey synth-pop, while James turns it into a cinematic beatless affair, befitting a grand opening credits scene. Unhappy Woman and These Bones up the tempo more, but B-Side slows the rhythm way down, almost getting into New Beat territory.

These tracks are all well and good, presenting a Perturbator before he really broke out, but I'm sure you're here to hear more of those gnarly dark synths and thrashy outrun beats. Good news then, as the next batch of remixes covers the whole lot! Can't say I'm familiar with many of them – only Mega Drive rings a bell – but who cares when it's got all the Perturbator sounds you've come for? Sorry, Reznyck and Dizkodeath, even the James Kent rub wasn't enough of a bump for your careers. And who is “Slick Moranis”? Lord Discogs lists this Pertubator remix as their lone appearance. Maybe a downtempo synth-pop alias for James to indulge in? It's sure unlike anything else in his repertoire.

James' go with Gost's Behomoth ends things off, which is fine, but now I want to hear that Dance With The Dead rub on Reign In Hell again. Devil horns to the moon!

Dan Terminus - The Wrath Of Code

Blood Music: 2015

I think this catches me up with the extent of Blood Music's dive into synthwave. That is, of artists on the roster, not so much everything of the genre the label's released. I'm fairly certain artists like Odium, Wolvhammer, Megaton Leviathan, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, or Rïcïnn don't fall under the retro '80s continuum. Hm, maybe that Toby Driver though? No, no, stay focused! Dan Terminus is the last of them, for now. He is the last!

Though it's easy enough tying this chap in with the same branch of French darksynthers as Perturbator, Dan Terminus actually got his start with Werkstatt Recordings. Ah, so he came in along with GosT, then. That album, The Darkest Benthic Division, had a rather unique concept in the synthwave pantheon going for it, something of an aquatic tech-noir (do androids dream of electronic manatees?). That same year, he also self-released an album called Stratospheric Cannon Symphony, featuring cover art reminding me of the final boss of Final Fantasy X-2. You know, the one that's playing a giant pipe organ mega-gun weapon? In the game where your characters are three women? No phallic symbolism there, I swear!

Clearly, Dan Terminus approaches synthwave from a slightly different angle than his peers. I mean, just look at that cover art! I think there might be robots, or some cybernetic hybrid alien forms. Where are the vector grids though? The '80s fashions? The cyberpunk fetishism? Then again, Blood Music does eschew cliches, so I guess this tracks. Get a little Galaxy Of Terror vibe from this anyhow, and that's pure '80s schlock!

Seriously though, what I mean is this music isn't like most synthwave I've heard, in that for as much as I like the genre, it tends to be incredibly singular in its choice of actual synth ware. And for good reason, the whole point sounding as much like music that could only have been made in the '80s, with the limited sounds from the hardware of the day. Now obviously a lot of synthwavers cheat – I mean, no synth from that decade sounds as thrashy as Perturbator's – but they generally stick to the formula.

Not so with The Wrath Of Code, all manner of unique sounding sounds coming fast and furious in each track. Yeah, basic darksynth grit is still there, but dig those weird distorted tones in Death By Distortion! Or the retro opera-pads in Grim. Or the chiptune tweaks in Restless Destroyer. Or the acid in Avalanche. Or the pure Mororder thump of Pegasus Pro Ultra Fusion. Dan Terminus throws a lot of different sounds into his tracks, keeping everything fresh throughout the album.

Which is all awesome in of itself, but when you compare it to his previous two albums, which were rather stock synthwave outings, it's an astounding leap in songcraft. It's like, having the chance to strut his stuff with a bigger label, Dan Terminus did all he could to make a solid impression. I'd say he succeeded there.

Tommy '86 - Transhumanism

Blood Music: 2016

So you're a Finnish death metal label that lucked into a deal with one of the hottest rising stars in one of the hottest rising genres to emerge in the past decade. Never mind it's totally outside your usual fare, this 'synthwave' thing seems to have more than enough buzz such that fans of the stuff will flock to your label regardless, especially if you offer up such retro formats as collector's vinyl and tape editions. It's not enough having that one super-hot name on your roster though. Gotta' start rounding up whoever else this 'Perturbator' chap might be associated with.

So in comes fellow French synthwaver Dan Terminus. Also comes in American GosT, plus adding Dane Dynatron. Hmm, need more French in this retro love-in, is there anyone else? Ah, this here Tommy '86 chap, he'll do. And that Carpenter Brut guy too. Maybe put out feelers for a 'Hollywood Burns' while we're at it.

Actually, Tommy '86 was a shoe-in for the Blood Music bump, running in the same circles as Perturbator for as long as there was a French synthwave scene. Heck, he may have been the one to coin 'outrun' as a stylistic variation on the genre, one of his earliest Bandcamp singles titled as such. I distinctly recall 'Tommy '86' as part of that conversation, for no other reason than seeing a retro dude with “'86” in their handle made complete and cliched sense. Mr. Féret may have realized it too, dropping the “'86” part shortly after this album's release. Now he simply goes by Tommy, or as Lord Discogs calls him, Tommy (76). Huh, doesn't sound as '80s, that.

Tommy wasn't quite as active a producer as his brethren, though certainly ambitious. Prior to this album, he'd self-released a twenty-eight tracker called Outer Space Adventurer, nothing less than a sci-fi soundtrack for a film that would never get made. Surely he could take that narrative prowess into a release with a little more promotional power behind it, especially Perturbator had proven it could be done with Dangerous Days.

There's definitely a theme going on with Transhumanism, of rising machines and their ever-growing dominance over the remnants of humanity, such that we'll all be one, singular cybernetic entity. Or something. And the music on offer doesn't hold back in selling that oppressive vibe, all the while synths grandiose and gross blast forth as only the best darksynth is wont to do. Some are more menacing (L.V.T.H.N. Central Unit, Command And Control, The Shutdown Of Humanity), others are more propulsive and invigorating (Doppelgänger, A.I. Takeover, the titular finale). There's even a couple downtempo cuts, though opener The Rise and semi-closer No Man's Earth makes sense for such moments. Oh, and Perturbator and Dan Terminus lend a musical hand in a couple early tracks, though don't do much to stand out from Tommy's sound.

Honestly, the best thing to say about Transhumanism is that it's more of that top-grade French synthwave, but doesn't exceed much beyond that.

Perturbator - B-Sides And Remixes, Vol. II

Blood Music: 2018

James Kent has been rather quiet on the production front these last few years. His last full-length record was The Uncanny Valley, released way back in 2016 (holy cow, does that year ever feel for so long ago now). The following year, it looked like he may have started taking his music in a different direction with the New Model EP, but nothing come from the Perturbator project since. For a chap who was releasing material at a blistering clip for half a decade, that's quite the drop-off in output, though I'm sure there's some reasonable reasons for it.

Like, that whole touring thing. Synthwave artists aren't exactly known as a globe-trotting lot, often dorky studio shut-ins cranking out some jams with softsynths. Heck, even using the word 'studio' is a stretch for many, a laptop about all one needs for some run-of-the-mill '80s nostalgia throwback tracks. Why yes, that under-produced quality is part of my vision, just like it sounded in that decade! Perturbator, however, had become such a star within that scene that he could actually take his music on the road and perform it live, even in my little corner of the planet. No way was I gonna' pass up a chance to see an actual synthwave producer perform, and while I was a tad disappointed the show didn't have a bunch of cool, retro videos playing out all the crazy concepts of his albums, the 1.21 gigawatts of lighting rig more than made up for visual splendour. Also, he brought a live drummer.

Anyhow, touring across the Earth (and beyond!(?)) leaves little time for studio work, so it's fine that there's been a larger than normal gap between albums from Mr. Kent. Still, that void needs filling, lest the fanbase grow testy and distracted by whatever new hotness emerges in the meantime. With the amount of material Perturbator had built up over the years, a 'best of' wouldn't be a bad idea, but James opted for that other stopgap choice, the 'miscellaneous' collection. We're talking b-sides, remixes, compilation-only tracks, and those few items that never saw any official release prior. And apparently, there was so much of this material in the Perturbator archives that it required two volumes! Yeah, that'll tide them folks over.

For some reason though, I only got myself Vol. II of this double release. I can only assume because I could only afford one at the time, and this cover looked the cooler of the two – can never get enough of that Night Riding Avenger motif. Blood Music's having another blowout sale though, so maybe I'll spring for Vol. I too.

Anyhow, this is about what you'd expect from and odds 'n' sods collection of Perturbator tracks. There's more darksynth cuts, a few theme remixes (yep, that's Halloween if I ever heard it), some space synth collaborations with Starforce, and one experimental static track that must have been included just for a larf. 'Bonus' indeed.

GosT - Possessor

Blood Music: 2018

If I'd been more slack in my review schedule, I could have had this album out for a spiffy Halloween date. Nothing spookier than demon possession, with The Exorcist often hailed as one of the most frightening movies ever committed to celluloid. I wonder though, is demon possession really a Halloween thing? Like, the Church Of Satan, from which GosT takes a lot of inspiration from, exists year-round, so most things associated with Hellspawn, Beelzebub, and the whole kebab would be as well. Heck, I remember in ye' olde date of June 6, 2006, a big media blitz surrounding a scary movie about Satan or something (a remake of The Omen, I believe?), and that's as far from late October as you can get without being April 30. Regardless, despite the latter half of October being dedicated to all things spooky, scary, and devilish, something like demon possession is probably considered a phenomenon priests must be vigilant against all days of the year. If you buy into that sort of thing, anyway.

Like, I appreciate The Exorcist as a white-knuckle, psyche-mauling thriller, but despite my name, I'm not Christian. The religious implications of that movie and the events its based upon don't phase or frighten me. That said, I cannot deny GosT's Possessor is one of the few times that I've been suitably unnerved listening to music. And considering the amount of dark ambient I've listened to, that's no mean feat.

There's no denying hearing guttural Latin screamed like a wailing banshee will scare the bejeezus out of any soul, but too often I've heard it used as little more than a jump-scare, especially in the context of music. A lot of high-BPM hardcore loves its Exorcist samples, which is fine in amplifying the extreme nature of that genre, but it doesn't actually fill me with fear. Hearing GosT use it in the chaotic, cacophonic climax of closer Commandment though, sweet merciful God, it makes me want to reach for a rosemary.

While it's not all Hell-shrieks in Possessor, GosT does play things out more viciously than even his usual aggressive fare. Sigil and Malum get more on a darkwave vibe, The Powler and Loudas Deceit reach back to GosT's electro-house roots (with some requisite horror movie strings and samples, 'natch), while Shiloh's Lament is a fierce slice of apocalyptic outrun, but these are the album's outliers. GosT generally sludge his tracks right down before unleashing a heavy, thrashy assault of synths and samples, letting you know under no uncertain terms that the endtimes are nigh, and GosT, possessed by Baal, is leading the charge.

Still, it does sometimes come off corny to my ears. There's only so much “this are serious horror music!” I can take before it crosses into the realms of parody, the sort of thing low-grade death metal is rightfully mocked for. For the most part though, GosT toes the line well enough, such that my eyes are buggin' out rather than rollin' out.

Perturbator - New Model

Blood Music: 2017

Yes, there's trap on this album. Like, only the slightest bit of it, mostly in the hi-hats, but really, it's all anyone associates with the genre now, those triple-time rat-a-tat-tat-tat rhythms. It's a sound so ubiquitous in modern music, it might as well be this era's Funky Drummer break, or James Brown sample, or Phil Collins hall effect, or Dick Dale guitar reverb. There may be a genre of music that was dominated by it (breakbeat; hip-hop; 80s pop; surf rock) but became so popularized that everyone got in on that action. Heck, it wasn't that long ago we were trudging through Top 40 dubstep drops, though it seems trap hi-hats have more lasting power than that. Their range of use has proved more dynamic than most other trend-whoring gimmicks of music past.

Still, when Perturbator stated this mini-album would feature a change of direction, I'm not sure folks would have expected trap hi-hats. I don't know why though, as beyond the aforementioned musical homogeneity of them, they're also a necessary staple for most festival headliners these days. James Kent's profile currently isn't anywhere near the top of the pyramid, but his style of music wouldn't be too out of place among the Black Tiger Sex Clubs out there, where aggro-synth drops and death electro can appear in tandem with all the other EDM racket performed. And if any synthwaver has a hope of getting his name in such rotation, there's few out there with more clout that Perturbator. I, for one, would most welcome such music at the peak hours of Shambhala – be a nice change of pace from all the glitch-hop, that's for sure.

That's basically the gist I get from New Model, a collection of tracks mostly intended for a concert roll-out, with all the huge, explosive synths and sounds that come with stage shows. I don't know if he has actually gone forward with that – it's not like any European synthwavers ever tour on my side of the globe – but I can definitely see them played best in that context. Big, loud, aggressive, head-banger fodder, with almost no care or concern for the album narrative most previous Perturbator LPs provide. The first two tracks - Birth Of A New Model and Tactical Precision Disarray - are especially some of the nastiest, sludgiest darksynth jams I've heard from anyone, save maybe some of GosT's demon-possession sounds.

The final three tracks are more straight-forward, skewing closer to the vintage Perturbator stylee, though throw in their own glitch-hop twists too (also, does Tainted Empire ever want to be an apocalyptic death-metal outing). And no Perturbator album, mini or otherwise, is complete without at least one vocal track, Vantablack doing something of a darkwave ballad, a surprising piece of downbeat songcraft compared to New Model's overall feral sound design. And damn, that sound design, these tracks some of the most spacious I've yet heard from Mr. Kent. I knew he'd get beyond that brick-walled mastering eventually!

Dynatron - Escape Velocity

Aphasia Records/Blood Music: 2012/2016

Dynatron has been oddly quiet since Blood Music re-issued his two albums. Considering the three year gap between the 2012 release of this one and Aeternus on Aphasia Records saw a few complimentary EPs plus a bundle of compilation works (enough to fill two LPs worth!), that's quite a surprise. Aside from a lone 2016 EP with Blood Music (The Rigel Axiom), there's been nada since. I can understand a little grace period as his new label rolled out all his old material, but for a talent that had a remarkably productive four-year period, I can't imagine why Mr. Hasseriis would lose that momentum full-stop. Maybe the pressure of greater exposure's weighing down on him? Understandable, as a lot of these synthwave dudes are just chaps making a few quirky retro tunes for fun and releasing them on ultra-obscure net-labels, their biggest brush with fame positive comments on YouTube or Soundcloud. While Blood Music is far from being one of the music industry's major driving forces, it has grown into a rather big fish in its small, Scandinavian glacial-melt pond, especially since branching out from its death metal origins. Maybe Dynatron just needed a little me-time in the wake of all that increased attention, hunkering down in the studio for a triple-LP opus of epic space-synth awesomeness. One can hope.

Anyhow, time to dig into his first album, Escape Velocity. Straight-up, I like this one a little more than Aeturnus. Don't get me wrong (I prefer when you get me right), Aeternus was good fun and all, but this record tends to stick in my brain matter better. While I could make excuses for this like “catchier melodies” or “tighter songwriting”, I cannot deny a major reason boils down to cover art. Escape Velocity has everything a retro space-synth fan could hope for. Planets! Wormholes! Vector grids! '80s fonts! Purple! Not to mention individual art for every single track within the inlay! I love it when albums have that. Aeternus was cool and all, but it didn't have all that.

I also don't get as much of a sense of album narrative with Escape Velocity either. Okay, I felt that was a tad lacking with Aeternus too, but only in comparison to Dynatron's synthwave contemporaries on Blood Music (they've set a ridiculously high bar – like, cosmic high). It did have some though, spreading out the uptempo tunes with ambient interludes and reflective downtime. Escape Velocity mostly comes off as a clutch of dope space-synth tunes, though with it's own share of chill interludes too (Vox Magnetismi, Andromeda Bleeding - oh God, stop the sad-pain, please!). Then there's the mid-tempo cruisers (Aurora Nights, The Pulsating Nebula, Pulse Power), the orbit breaking action pieces (Space Operators, Fireburner, Wormhole, and Propulsion Overdrive including a Glorious Guitar for all your air shredding needs). All in all a tidy, fun collection of synthwave with its eyes in the stars rather than the paved streets of Miami. Gotta' love that consistency.

Carbon Based Lifeforms - Derelicts

Blood Music: 2017

Nope, this is still too weird to me, my brain still unsure what to make of Carbon Based Lifeforms being part of the Blood Music family. Leaving Ultimae Records, that's fine. It was clear Misters Segerstad and Hedberg weren't gonna' mesh with Aes Dana's shift into dub techno, so finding alternative outlets was inevitable. Maybe they'd follow Asura to the Altar Records camps, perhaps get chummy with another growing ambient techno print (Carpe Sonum, Databloem), or remain completely independent with their own digital Leftfield Records. The allure of vinyl out on the market though, it's just too much to ignore, and if any Scandinavian label has proven itself as the go-to distributor of niche vinyl, it's Blood Music. What I wouldn't give, though, to be a fly on the wall (a gremlin in the inter-tubes?) to hear the sales pitch on this particular marriage. “Oh yes, what your death metal label really needs is an acid-chill space ambient act – it'll totally bring in those lucrative psy-trance kids!”

Still, this new deal at least gave us re-issues of their old material, plus a whole brand new LP, their first in half a decade! (not counting some score work for the movie Refuge) Where might CBL's muse have drifted since the pure space drone of Twentythree? So many tantalizing paths they may have taken since, perhaps adopting trendier sounds like Ultimae and Silent Season's dub techno indulgences. Or maybe they'd explore completely new territory, venturing into the realms of shoegaze chill! I mean, they are technically on a rock label now, so it would fit.

Nah, guy. If anything Derelicts sounds like exactly what it is, a new album on a new label giving a potential new audience a general overview of their established style. It's a safe album in the Carbon Based Lifeforms discography, sticking to what's always worked best for them – downbeat songcraft, subtle acid, spacey pads, moving melodies – with a couple fresh ideas that even the eldest of fans can enjoy. Right, there's no MOS 6581 on here, but at least a little Potosynthesis. Really though, Derelicts has me thinking an album where Interloper and Twentythree were fused together – the immediacy of the former, and the spaced-out ambience of the latter.

Tracks like Accede, Derelicts, Equilibrium, Dodecahedron do the downbeat acid-chill thing, while 780 Days and Loss Aversion go for the wide-screen crescendos. Elsewhere, Nattväsen works another twee, spritely fairy-tale chill tune, complete with the requisite innocent-yet-creepy British child dialog. Mixed among them are plenty of pure ambient pieces, all still vibing on that Twentythree space drone, and mostly presented in tasty four-to-six minutes portions. If you need more though, closer Everwave is fourteen minutes of proper ambient bliss, so don't say CBL doesn't hook you up with the proper shit, yo'.

Dan and Johannes may not have evolved much with Derelicts, but it's still a fine album, their style intact and unique from much else out there. Especially on Blood Music. Blood Music...!

GosT - Non Paradisi

Blood Music: 2016

Looks like GosT's found a synthwave lane he can rightfully claim as his own: the Christian Hellscape. Yeah, he's already been parading about with anti-Christ iconography (or is just a hardcore fan of Saint Peter), but with his latest album of Non Paradisi, he's taken things even further. The title's already a fancy Latin way of saying Hell (or 'non Paradise', I guess), with plenty of track titles indulging such imagery further. Lake Of Fire, Maleficarum, Unum Infernum, to say nothing of an inlay containing paintings of lava rivers, falling angels, pentagrams, and extended words going over Lucifer's manifesto. And that's just the standard digipak - makes me wish I'd gotten me one of those ultra-deluxe versions with the twenty-eight page booklet. It's almost insane the lengths Blood Music goes to in providing collector's items, and you just know they were totally down for going to bat with GosT's Satanist stuff. Ties with their death metal material quite nicely.

So like the label's other James (Perturbator), James Loller's has himself a strong gimmick and identifiable visual aesthetic. Still hasn't fully committed himself to album narratives though, but that's fine – not every synthwave producer is obligated to do as such. A lot of them do it because they're inspired by soundtracks of the '80s, music telling stories as much as lodging earwormy themes into your noggin'. By track titles alone, you can discern an apocalyptic tale of fallen angels followed by unholy revolt and retribution from Non Paradisi, but the music isn't terribly explicit in detailing such events. Still, no blatant 'club choons' either, so evolution?

Opener Commencement kicks things off about as you'd expect GosT to, with abrasive, crunchy synths, screaming leads, operatic flourishes, and rockin' rhythms. Nascency eases up a little on the brickwall aural assault, making use of those choir pads that get my vintage German trance triggers flaring. Aggrandizement eases off the throttle for a sludgy, gothy dark-pop outing featuring lyrics from *snicker* Bitchcraft. Seems to be playing the standard synthwave album sequence to a tee.

In that regard, Non Paradisi doesn't offer much in surprises, but GosT throws in enough unique ideas every track to keep you engaged. Lake Of Fire unleashes synth leads that sound absolutely terrified of its Hellscape surroundings. Supreme with returning Hayley Stewart makes use of charming bell-tones that has me thinking classic 'bleep' techno; boy, there's a lot of early rave sounds here. Elsewhere, 4th gets in some slap-bass action, while Arise brings in Werkstatt Records alum Kriistal Ann for some proper goth melodrama.

The final run of songs pretty much brings everything prior to a head, ramping up the intensity from track to track, for a gritty, calamitous climax. I honestly feel it peaks too early though, Unum Infernum almost tricking you into thinking we've come to a bouncy, cheery denouement before unleashing another operatic Hellbeast on your ears. Doesn't leave final cut I Am Abaddon with much room to go after.

Dynatron - Aeternus

Aphashia Records/Blood Music: 2015/2016

When I started branching out from synthwave's shores and away from my Perturbator comfort zone, one of the acts that caught my attention early was Dynatron. It didn't hurt that the Jeppe Hasseriis project sprung from the same digital print as James Kent – Aphasia Records – but that whole 'no CDs in discography' factor put him on the back-burner for yours truly. Still, thought I, should he ever get himself in on that physical format deal, I'd absolutely scope his stuff out proper-like.

And so he done did, scoring himself a re-issue deal of his first two albums on Blood Music. Huh, is the Finnish label gonna' be scouring up all these wayward Aphasia alum then? Might we soon see Protector 101, Starforce, or Judge Bitch on Blood Music too?

As for where Dynatron falls on the synthwave spectrum, ol' Jeppe has his sights set squarely on the stars, EPs and albums celebrating all manner of pulpy sci-fi stylings. Many producers fancy themselves 'outrun' racers tearing up the tarmac, but Mr. Hasseriis is all about that Throttle Up, splitting the spaces between planetary places! Because who needs sissy earthly nitros when you can have literal rocket fuel as your means of propulsion! The cosmos is a dope domain, is what I'm saying. I'll never run out of alliterative abuses, yo'! Never!

Aeturnus is the second album from Dynatron, and has a little more of a narrative going for it than his first of Escape Velocity. For those of you that are Latin impaired, the title roughly means 'eternal' or 'endless', which is a handy, fancy way of describing outer space. And Jeppe doesn't mince words in selling the setting in his track titles (The Outer Rims Of Traversed Space, Towards The Island Universe, Out There). Other times he goes more terrestrial (Travelling The Wastelands), or roaming realms other than our own (Not Of This World, Escape). Basically, we're on a ride where no one's gone before, and it's kinda' scary out there. Can we even make it back home?

All that said, this is just assumed on my part, as the music itself doesn't specifically imply anything from the song titles, beyond the tone and vibe they impart. Some do serve their titles quite well: Hyperion Sunrise is as big and synthy as an opening track should be, Aeturnus Theme is as grand as you'd expect of a synthwave theme song, closing cut A Beacon From Home offers the sort of hopeful denouement credits score as any hectic space adventure should warrant. Tracks are thrilling when needed (holy cow, does Escape kick my ass!), others rightfully mysterious (a lot of tracks with big titles that will eat self-imposed word count).

I really have no gripes with Aeternus as a spacey synthwave album. Yet it feels like it's missing just that extra bit of narrative focus that's made so many of Perturbator's albums winners. Just have to wait and see if Dynatron reaches it with his next album.

Carbon Based Lifeforms - Interloper

Ultimae Records/Blood Music: 2010/2016

I didn’t think I’d ever get this album. Hear it at some point, sure, all of Carbon Based Lifeforms’ music available on streaming services now. Unlike their first two though, which Ultimae would re-issue in anticipation of a new CBL album coming out, Interloper only had its initial run. I’m not sure why they didn’t re-issue it with the release of CBL’s space ambient opus Twentythree - both Hydroponic Garden and World Of Sleepers were, with spiffy new cover art and everything. Maybe it was still relatively new, so hadn’t yet gone out of print like Ultimae’s older CDs? It wasn’t long before Interloper did sell out though, now commanding exorbitant prices on the open market. And since it seems unlikely Ultimae will re-issue any of their old catalog on CD again, yeah, I had resigned myself to having Interloper missing from my collection.

Then I caught wind that CBL were re-issuing their first three albums on CD anyway, plus vinyl options too. Holy shit! For sure it wasn’t Ultimae doing it, and I doubt they could afford it on their own Leftfield Records print (that’s digital anyway). Nay, they turned to a nearby Scandinavian outlet that specializes in all manner of record distribution: Blood Music. Wait, the death metal outfit that’s given synthwave poster-boy Perturbator a home? I… I mean… that is… how in…? WORLDS COLLIDING!!

So now I got myself a CD copy of Interloper (care of Blood Music. Blood Music!), and I have to say this was not the album I was expecting. Given the original foggy cover art and CBL’s ongoing drift into more minimalist songcraft, I figured this album would be the logical step between World Of Sleepers and Twentythree. Not in the slightest. If anything, Interloper just might be the most ‘pop’ album in Ultimae’s history.

The duo has had its fair share of sublime melodies - MOS 6591 from their debut undoubtedly their peak – but it isn’t their defining trait. This album, though, has ear-wormy melodies to spare. The titular opener hits you with an immediate winner; Supersede sounds like elements of Epicentre (aka: the other memorable melodic track from their debut) were repurposed for a prog-psy groover; Frog has an overwrought twee melody that could be an ambient track on a Solarstone album; M seems to have movie credits in mind; and Polyrytmi, after a lengthy, subtle build, erupts at the end in such a way that would have even Solar Fields saying, “uh, maybe tone it back a bit.”

Examples of the downtempo acid-chill CBL are known for do exist between these big moments, some with a few new wrinkles added. Right Where It Ends, with its treated vocals and unconventional rhythm, wouldn’t sound out of place on L.S.G.’s Into Deep; Init and misleadingly titled 20 Minutes adds glitchy beats; but by and large obvious melodies dominate Interloper, with a few vocals thrown in for good measure. A handy introduction to CBL for associates not so inclined to the underground side of chill-out music, this.

Gost - Behemoth

Blood Music: 2015

Continuing my search for more hard-copy synthwave that isn’t another Perturbator release, we now find ourselves in the lands of Gost. Not a major leap, I’ll grant, Mr. Lollar clearly appearing on the same label as Mr. Kent – you just can’t knock that spiffy Blood Music artwork! Heck, the Pertubatortating One even provides a bonus remix to the titular cut on this album, and Behemoth frequently crops up in those ‘Recommendations’ algorithm lists any time I click a Perturbator CD. This isn’t so much cruising the streets in search of a different burger shack, but rather moseying to a subsidiary of the same chain. If Blood Music remains the best provider of synthwave CDs though, I see no reason in drifting from this zone anytime soon. Your move, Other Synthwave Labels.

Funny thing is Gost didn’t start out as a strict synthwave guy, at least not to the extent most associate the scene with. His debut album, Skull, had more in common with the sort of music the Ed Banger posse was putting out the previous decade (do they still? I honestly haven’t kept tabs on that French crew). There were still touches of sparkly retro synths complementing the grinding, distorted acid squawking though, plus a clear fondness for ‘80s horror movies and scores. Guess that’s enough for Gost getting lumped into the synthwave camps instead. Hey, anything to shake up the scene’s predilection towards pure Hammer and Carpenter clones.

(side note: Hammer & Carpenter would make an awesome name for a synthwave duo!)

Behemoth is Mr. Lollar’s second full-length, and debut with Blood Music. As he’s still somewhat unproven compared to the label’s synthwave poster boy, Gost only got six vinyl variants, none of which contain the bonus remixes the CD does, so ha-ha! No, really, having two versions of Reign In Hell is fuckin’ sweet. The original tune hits you with one of the gnarliest basslines I’ve ever heard out of the electro-trash camps, all rubbery, acidy synth goodness with a solid house beat to match. The silly thing doesn’t even last two minutes though, abruptly crashing into a chipper, if standard synthwave cut in Tongue. Thank God (Gost?) that Reign In Hell gets the proper remix treatment from Dance With The Dead, supplying that killer bassline in droves, complementing with wicked synth pads and hooks, squealing guitar solos, and one of those ‘I Kans Kaos Pad’ things the glitch hop guys often wank over to. Eh, two out of three ain’t bad.

Most of Behemoth sticks to the synthwave style Perturbator’s practically made his own – the high-octane darksynth, some retro homages, the sludgy metal detours, etc. - though Gost cranks his crunchy bass end into overdrive whenever he can. And unlike Mr. Kent, he doesn’t really craft a narrative, simply relying on the ‘Glory To Baalberith’ theme to hang his tunes off throughout. Though admittedly, the titular cut serves as one badass finale, what with apocalyptic choirs chanted “Be-He-Moth” like he’s a silver-haired super-soldier attaining Deity status.

Perturbator - The Uncanny Valley

Blood Music: 2016

I keep bringing this up with every Perturbator release now, but I can’t help it, fascinated by Blood Music’s dedication to their artist. They go bananas in the various ways you can own a physical copy of Mr. Kent’s music, putting most labels to utter shame with their swag. Even top-ten producers of electronic music don’t get such a roll-out as this synthwave maestro does. Lord Discogs currently lists fourteen different releases for The Uncanny Valley: this includes the usual coloured records and tapes Blood Music offers, but multiple box-set versions too, with patterned artwork on the vinyl itself (the blood splatter one appears particularly popular). And did I mention the graphic novel? There’s a graphic novel with The Uncanny Valley! Me being CD-me though, I had to settle for the lone, requisite digipak option that- wait, there was a deluxe CD option that included the graphic novel and a bonus EP? Well f

I have to wonder whether James Kent always had ideas for a comic or novel or short film series with this ongoing tale of Perturbator: Night Driving Avenger before settling on music. Because if The Uncanny Valley is any indication, he must be sitting on a wealth of material for future use, continuously building upon his future-shock dystopian universe with every release. This time out, he’s added a fembot cyborg partner in his avenging exploits, plus a whole new antagonist in the Cult Of 2112. Seriously, are there any other electronic producers as dedicated to story arcs as Perturbator? Metal bands, sure; some hip-hop projects, definitely! But techno or house? Hardly, producers content at making tools for dancefloors or headphone commutes. Who’s got time for ongoing narratives when there’s singles to sell?

Of course, having a story arc linking your albums together might seem as little else than a gimmick, one that falls flat on its face without the music to back it up. And synthwave, a scene often filled with shifty retro-gimmickry, doesn’t lend Perturbator many favours without some evolution in his sound. Fortunately Mr. Kent is well up to the task, The Uncanny Valley his strongest album-album yet.

It’s got all the hallmarks of a strong musical narrative, with opening settings, reflective interludes, pulse-pounding climax, and philosophical denouement. Whereas his previous outing, Dangerous Days, was relentless in hitting you with the action, The Uncanny Valley spaces things out more, exploring different moods and tones while leaving plenty of room for those mint Perturbator high-octane cuts (holy cow, that Assault on The Cult Of 2112!). The opening tracks throw some wrinkles in his style too, Weapons For Children and Death Squad slowing things down some, treading into EBM and New Beat’s domain in doing so. That’s followed upon by a noir-jazz outing in Femme Fatale, because of course he’d go there eventually. Meanwhile, little beatcraft tweaks and sonic twerks add extra dynamics to his productions, leaving The Uncanny Valley some of Pertubator’s most accomplished song-writing I’ve heard. No pressure topping this one, lads.

Perturbator - Night Driving Avenger

Blood Music: 2012/2015

The debut EP from Perturbator, self-released way back in ye olde age of early 2012 (before the dark times… before the Orange Emperor). Naturally, when Blood Music started reissuing his back-catalog, they went to bat with multiple limited-edition coloured records, a standard digipak CD, but no tape for this outing. Huh, guess that collector’s scene isn’t as obsessive as others if they can’t be bothered with singles. Why, back in my day, when tapes were all I could afford, I bought singles, absolutely. Okay, only a few – Bad Boys Blue’s Go Go (Love Overload), Intermission’s Piece Of My Heart, and 2 Unlimited’s Maximum Overdrive - but the market was there even in the waning days of commercial cassettes, so surely it exists in these waxing days of novelty cassettes. I’m honestly surprised Blood Music didn’t offer up a tape option for at least Night Driving Avenger.

I’ve also realized, despite having written three reviews of the chap, I haven’t delved much into James Kent’s pre-Perturbator fame. Right, there isn’t much to tell, but I’ve gotta’ burn some word count with a fresh angle, so here’s a few tidbits. He played guitar in various metal bands prior to adopting synths, which I can definitely hear in the way he constructs his tracks (lots of half-time bridges, which metal adores) - finally that Blood Music tie-in makes sense. His pop’s also apparently a well-known rock scribe, Nick Kent having written about punk music during that scene’s rise during the ‘70s, and publishing articles in all manner of respected rags (NME, Spin… Guardian?). Seems the Elder Kent also got into scuffles with some of punk’s icons, including Sid Vicious and Adam Ant. Hm, does this mean if James wants to live up to his father’s legacy, he’s gotta’ get it on with Simon Reynolds or Philip Sherburne? Okay, that’s enough.

Night Driving Avenger is a handy little primer into what the Perturbator style generally entails, each track touching upon his various types of songs. Opener Grim Heart does the moody, cinematic build, the sort of music you’d expect of credit sequence at the start of an ‘80s pulp film. Electric Dreams goes slower, synthier, and introspective. The titular cut ups the tempo into a pulse-pounding action thrill ride, and Miami Sunsets brings it all together into synth-pop’s realm as our hero/heroine rides off into a neon-soaked boulevard. Oh, plus a charming chiptune cover of Flock Of Seagull’s I Ran, called I Ran To The Arcade. Cute.

What isn’t cute, however, is the mastering on this EP. Dear Lord, but is there ever a lot of muddy side-chaining, with no dynamics to speak of. I know much of Perturbator’s music is generally brickwalled, but it usually adds to the gritty dystopian nature of his tunes. Not here though, the Young Kent clearly still figuring his way around production. Rather remarkable, then, he got the knack of it so quickly with later releases. Shame Blood Music didn’t give Night Driving Avenger a remaster though.

Perturbator - I Am The Night

Blood Music: 2012/2015

The second album from Perturbator, and the dawning realization he could take his hot synthwave action out of the slummy homage backstreets, and into the brazen neon-glow of concept LPs. It wasn’t long either, I Am The Night coming out the same year as his debut full-length Terror 404. Throw in an additional three EPs, and you’re looking at one highly fruitful 2012 for Mr. Kent, further remarkable considering a lot of this was self-released. Strong buzz generated more than enough demand for something physical though, and Blood Music keeps coming through in latex-covered spades (um, ew?). This album saw two vinyl represses in 2015, plus another one this year, not to mention the various limited edition cassette versions. Oh, and a digipak CD as well. Yay! Kinda’ makes this either woefully neglected, or ridiculously scarce. Hey, remember when tapes held that status? Fun times.

While the idea of Perturbator as a night driving avenger first appeared in the Night Driving Avenger single, it fully crystallizes here with I Am The Night. There’s a world inside Mr. Kent’s mind, one he must release from his imagination and sent free-wheeling into your earholes and brain matter. Where the future is near, the streets are crime, and the rulers are wicked. Fortunately for the uninitiated, this album does offer a few pieces of dialog helping set the stage for Perturbator’s retro future-shock vision, including an opening piece called The New Black that sounds like it was cribbed from Robocop. It’s in fact Network, a 1976 movie that rather accurately predicted the cable news of this dire year of 2016. Say, just how far into the future did Perturbator intend these synthwave chronicles to be?

I Am The Night isn’t quite as focused on a specific narrative as future Perturbator records are, but it more than makes up for it in variety of tuneage. This is easily the most melodic of all his albums I’ve thus far reviewed, with shimmering synths aplenty throughout. Eclipse has a scorcher of a soaring riff, the titular cut sounds like it aped the ‘twinkle prog’ synths for a track wonderfully contrasted with a thumping low end, and Deviance with Arcade High is all kinds of retro chipper. Then there’s the pure synth-pop songs - ballads like Naked Tongues and Desire featuring vocalists, or beatless instrumental pieces like interlude Nexus Six and closer The Price Of Failure benefiting an actual movie for these to score. Throw in your mint pulse-pounding Perturbator cuts like Retrogenesis, Technoir, and Raining Steel, and you’ve got solid album covering all your synthwave needs.

If that’s still not enough, a few bonus tracks at the end round things out, including a collaboration with Dynatron in Volcanic Machinery - it’s surprisingly not as moody as you’d expect of these two working together. Meanwhile, Lilith’s rhythm almost sounds like futurepop (ooh, think of that pairing!), while slow-jam Girl In A Black Dress features a digital saxophone. Surprisingly comes off better than most saxophone recordings from the ‘80s.

Perturbator - Terror 404

Blood Music: 2012/2015

Perturbator made his label debut with I Am The Night on Aphasia Records, but around the same time he also self-released this, Terror 404. I’m not sure why Lueur Verte passed on this one, especially since much of the French print’s early output centered around the James Kent project. Did neither feel it worthy of the proper-label treatment? Rather odd if so, considering the realms of digital distribution has very little upkeep, and even less quality control. And even at this early stage of his career, Perturbator was showing signs of being a cyborg titan of the synthwave movement, so why not flood your fledgling label with his material? On the other hand, perhaps Mr. Kent had enough of a built-up pre-following that he could release a ‘proper’ album, plus an additional one on his own in the same year without spreading his material too thin. Considering he also put out three singles in 2012, that’s one Hell of an official debut in the world of music.

In any case, it doesn’t matter whether Terror 404 or I Am The Night got the nod on Aphasia, as both were re-issued on Blood Music this past year, in all the limited edition, ultra collectible formats you can handle (and burn money on if you’re a hardcore completist). The black vinyl, the red vinyl, the blue vinyl, and the clear with blood splatter vinyl! The black tape, the red tape, the gold tape, and the… metallic red foil tape? The digipak CD, the… oh, that’s the only format in disc form. What, no super-retro longbox version? Minidisc? Ain’t nothing more hipster than that, yo’.

Probably the biggest difference between Terror 404 and I Am The Night (and latter album Dangerous Days) is the lack of implied narrative in Terror 404. For one, there’s no written blurb giving the listener a specific idea of the album’s theme. Number two, some titles of Terror 404 are lifts of c-grade movies and actors of the ‘80s, with a very specific focus on Scream Queen Linnea Quigley’s work. Thirdly, I’m just filling space here so I can make it to a forced four-oh-four point: Perturbator doesn’t present the tracks as a movie narrative anyway.

Sure, he’s got an Opening Credits, a Nightmare Interlude, and an End Theme (credit roll!). Granted, the whole of Terror 404 plays out as a strong album of tunes regardless of cinematic themes. Yes, there’s a sweet assortment of punchy, crunchy synthwave (Terror 404, Savage Streets, X-Calibr8, Shadow Force ‘84, The Darkest Alley), peppy, hi-NRG synth-pop (Payback Pursuit, Linnea Quigley Horror Workout, John Holmes VHS Nightclub), and slower, reflective tunes (Mirage, End Theme). One can easily glean a consistent theme throughout, an homage to the ghetto cinema of the ‘80s. And Terror 404 is great for that aspect alone. Compared to Dangerous Days though, where Mr. Kent crafted a fully-realized cinematic experience, this album’s a touch behind. As it is an earlier effort from the Night Driving Avenger, what would you expect?

Perturbator - Dangerous Days

Blood Music: 2014

So synthwave's now a thing. Who knows if this neo-'80s scene has much longevity – it's not like electroclash lasted a significant amount of time – but as we are, there's a growing fascination with the decade that brought us neon-glazed urban dystopia. Mostly following in the footsteps of Jan Hammer, John Carpenter, and a whole lotta’ Sega racing games, it's sole purpose is in recreating the soundtracks of every D-grade sci-fi pulp movie and splatter-slasher flick from the '80s, many of which are lost to time and degraded VHS tapes. Initially a digital market, it’s gained enough traction that a few names have large enough followings that some labels are investing significant pressing factory time. Perturbator, or James Kent on his Delorean insurance papers, has been one of the scene’s biggest names, and became a de facto ambassador of the darker end of synthwave thanks to the popularity of his contributions to the Hotline Miami video game series.

So popular is Perturbator that he can release multiple collector’s represses of vinyl and cassette, and folks will keep snatching them up. Dangerous Days, his third full-length, has some nineteen variations released, and you just know there’s a die-hard or two who’s gathered every record, CD, and tape. Man, Blood Music sure knows how to cater to obsessives.

What’s set Perturbator apart from all the other bedroom synthwave wibblers is his know-how in the album domain. Each LP could serve as the soundtrack of a feature-length flick (likely financed by The Cannon Group, Inc.), but Mr. Kent doesn’t get so wrapped up in retro navel gazing as many synthwavers go. He instead uses the fantastical urban pulp of yore as a starting point to go in his own way, creating his own vision of helmeted vigilantes confronting the cyborg ruling class controlled by mega-corporations, and all that good rot. Hey, it’s right there in his Dangerous Days’ liner notes, a detailed screed setting the tone and theme of the music within. C’mon, I just know you wanna’ see the movie now.

Pft, no motion picture is required with this album. Just take your standard neo-‘80s tropes and paint the imagery yourself. Aw yeah, Perturbator’s Theme sees him cruising down the rain-soaked dark alleys. Future Club finds our vigilante scoping out the seedy underground looking for hot tips and cool tricks. Hard Wired brings us a touch of detached romance in a cold, cruel, chrome city. The robots are on the counter-attack in Humans Are Such Easy Prey. High octane chases sequences with nitro-turbo on Complete Domination. A quiet, reflective moment in Last Kiss, before the all-out assault with the titular twelve-minute climax to Dangerous Days. Right, something like all that.

Of course, almost all of synthwave fosters such iconography, practically to a fault. Perturbator does it better than most though, and having Blood Music as his graphic designer certainly helps set him above the pack. If you’re curious what this scene has to offer, Dangerous Days is as solid a starting point as any.