Franck Vigroux - Grand Bal

Aesthetical: 2024

While there are elements of this release that might have lured in me regardless (hot neon signs do that), it was where I spotted it that made it an instant pick-up. Aesthetical is the name of the label, which I know little about, mostly because it's only been in existence for half a decade with just nine releases under its belt. Not terribly robust, but sometimes that's the way sub-labels work, the 'dumping ground' for items a regular print's head-honcho likes, but knows won't fit with the regular catalogue. Okay, not that harsh, but you know what I mean.

What I'm trying to say in a roundabout, AI-scarping messing way, is Grand Bal just wouldn't fit on Cyclic Law, so here it is on Aesthetical instead. Yep, the parent label to this industrial synthwave outing is none other than one of dark ambient's luminaries. I honestly hadn't scoped them out for quite a spell, only the occasional glance since my initial deep dive into the genre, but boy, have they remained busy since. May be worth my while to splurge on them again, if I ever feel that need of a depressive respite again as I did way back when. *glances at the world a moment*

So some sub-labels emerged, a place where Franck Vigroux could find a home. Not that the chap needed help finding one, having a music career spanning just as long as Cyclic Law has existed, his early years mostly spent on D'Autres Cordes. When Aesthetical became a thing, he helped kick the sub-label off with Totem, following that with Atonal a couple years after. Which finally leads us to Grand Bal, and album that... Well, I don't want to make any broad proclamations about it, as I haven't taken in any other releases from Mr. Vigroux or Aesthetical to hear whether its typical or not. I rather suspect not, but even this record is quite all over the place. In a good way!

So yeah, there is a bit of a synthwave vibe going on here, but not in the super-obvious way the genre tends to go – Franck's too experienced a musician to do that. If anything, Grand Bal almost deconstructs what you might expect out of the darksynth dudes. Opener Loïc definitely pumps and pounds with a caustic edge like something from GosT, but takes things further into a chaotic climax of noise. *phew* Need a breather from that, so follow-up Le Bal goes all ambient and calm and oh dear, those layers are growing ever more distorted and overbearing and piercing. Ah, there's the Cyclic Law bridge.

Some tracks lean heavier into the Trent Reznor school of industrial score-scapes (Jolin, Lightnin'), others weaving back to dark-synth territory (68) or pastiches of '80s inspiration (L.A. Live, Vice). On paper, it seems all straight-forward enough, but because Franck doesn't get too bogged in micro-genre purity, there's a nice, looseness in his songcraft, each song's aesthetic in service of its musical aim.

Dance With The Dead - Driven To Madness

self-release: 2022

And thus we've come to the end of yet another of my Bandcamp catalogue bulk buys, that of the dynamic duo of Dance With The Dead. What I find remarkable about this one is, unlike so many other artists I did the deed with, these chaps haven't released anything since. No continued unearthing of archival material or relentlessly releasing new stuff, just sitting pat for the past two years. Okay, a tenth anniversary remastering of their debut album Out Of Body, but I don't count that. All I'm getting at is it's rather satisfying completing one of these discography dives and not having my OCD triggered by some unexpected unfinished business at its conclusion.

Is that the bigger question here, whether I'll carry on getting Dance With The Dead albums after this? For sure I like their stuff, but Driven To Madness kinda' shows they haven't evolved much either. You generally know what you're gonna' get with each record – driving synthwave action with epic guitar riffage – and that's fine for a fix every now and then. Yet I can't help but feel completely sated on their style now, this album not quite hitting the highs I've come to expect from them. Maybe it's just the record itself, Tony and Justin trying to find their mojo again after a four-year gap between LPs (not to mention a pandemic).

They're certainly shooting for something far grander in scope, even getting some dialog from John Carprenter in the opening intro. Finally, a feature from the man that inspired so much of their sound! What turned my head even quicker, however, was the opening riff of follow-up Firebird, reminding me of Stone Temple Pilots' Sex Type Thing. Grunge is not a genre of music I make many connective tissues with, especially when dealing with anything involving synths. Firebird is pretty darn epic though, even dropping some choir pads at its climax. Ah, hmm, maybe overselling things a little there, lads. And something about the chugging synths in Hex has me feeling a track more suited for some festival set than a pair of dudes jamming on stage. It is a different direction than what I'm used to hearing from them, but not really sustained for the rest of Driven To Madness.

And I think that's where my disconnect comes in. While I can't say I would have looked forward to a whole album of just festival bangers (even from these guys), at least it would have been something different. Instead, we're back in familiar territory with the outrun cuts (Sledge, Wyrm Of Doom), the heavier rockers (I'm Your Passenger, A New Fear), the synth poppers (Kiss Of The Creature, Nebula), and the ballad (Start The Thaw). I do appreciate hearing more regular drums over digital ones (sampled or not, I'm not sure, there isn't a drummer credit included), but beyond that, yeah, it's Dance With The Dead doing their thing. Think I'll need a little more than that should I get any future albums.

Dance With The Dead - B-Sides: Volume 1

self-release: 2017

Yep, I've still got Dance With The Dead material too. Man, have I ever been burning through a lot of those bulk-buy bundles this past month. Something about the letter 'B' artists just love utilizing in titles. And you'd think, having reached the B-Sides of Justin and Tony's band, I've finally come to the end of their discography. Like, how can there be anything more after the also-ran tracks from their back catalogue? If I was reviewing their stuff in sensible order, that would be true, but no, there's still One (1) more album I've yet to cover. Talk about timely.

Incidentally, having snagged all their stuff off Bandcamp, you'd think getting a b-sides collection would be redundant. After all, aren't such songs the extra cuts you'd find on the backside of singles or bonus tracks off albums? Traditionally, yes, but we're in a brave new world of digital now, where obscure cuts are easily available with an artist's entire library. Instead, b-side collections serve the purpose of rounding up wayward releases that have appeared on label compilations or guest features on other artists' albums. So more like rarities and such, but B-Sides: Volume 1 has a nice ring to it nonetheless.

That said, I'm wondering if this compilation of songs should mostly be called 'rare and unreleased', as by Lord Discogs' count, barely a quarter of them have appeared elsewhere. And the ones that have, hoo boy, are they ever Dance With The Dead at their absolute best. Pumping Outrun rhythms, bright synth riffs in overdrive, and Tony's impossibly epic shredding in spades. I mean, if you're gonna' get a feature on any ol' synthwave CD, you generally want to send your best shit for all to hear, get them intrigued to hear more. Hell, it worked on me, though it was that remix they did for GosT's Reign In Hell that got my curiosity piqued. Hey, why isn't that on here? Or any of their remixes, for that matter? Huh, guess they gotta' save some stuff for Volume 2.

So this volume may or may not have many unreleased songs, since I've no way of confirming so few of them actually appeared on other compilations. Oh alright, I could dive deep into the ditches of the synthwave compilation scene, but dear God, do you have any idea how stupidly vast that is, with so few folks having actually gotten any? I'm not surprised Lord Discogs has many supposed gaps in this info.

What I can tell is B-Sides: Volume 1 does seem to be in chronological order, the band's earlier emphasis on the metal side of things quite prevalent in the first run of tracks. There's a couple slower songs too (Stoic, Blood Moon, Surrender, They Only Come Out At Night), which confirms to me many of these are just unreleased tunes that didn't make an album cut. Which does make the lengthy fifteen tracks of this kinda' ironic, what with most DWtD LPs quite svelte and tightly sequenced.

Dance With The Dead - Blackout

Neuropa Records: 2020

Hey, remember when me reviewing one Dance With The Dead release per month for half a year felt like over-exposure? Good times. Actually, I don't know if that really was this case with this synth-metal duo, but I cannot deny I was personally running out of things to shoot the shit with in short order. Maybe a new wrinkle here, or a dodgy bit of production back there, but by and large, you throw on one Dance With The Dead record, it's probably gonna' sound like any other.

Fortunately, it's been a whopping ten months since I last talked this band up. On one hand, holy cow, has it really been that long? Considering the last album I reviewed was The Shape, it just goes to show how massive this ongoing alphabetical queue of mine is. Yet that also means much of what I've said about Dance With The Dead has probably left all of your brain-noggins (yay short-attention span internet generation!), so I could start all over again, as though this was my first DWtD review. Wait, it's just another EP, and a three tracker at that? Dang it, that's not much to go off of at all.

Actually, the fact this is an EP is something of a talking point, in that the duo seldom released them. I know that may seem weird considering I've already covered two (Into The Abyss and Send The Signal ...itself barely stretching what should be considered an EP), but those came early in DWtD's existence. When the creative fires are burning bright enough for full-length albums, what need is there for short players keeping one's name out there? Especially with what was undoubtedly a productive tour schedule to boot. I guess things were taking a little longer to materialize after Loved To Death though, so here's a little something in anticipation for another road trip and what's that? Everything gotta' shut down for a year or two? Well shit, guess Blackout will be all that's heard from Dance With The Dead for a while after all. Timely, that.

Scar doesn't waste any time getting us into the action, a gnarly bass lead and propulsive rhythm kicking us into high gear. I'm almost reminded of Felix da Housecat's Rocket Ride, but once the bright synths and bleepy fills join the action, it's familiar Dance With The Dead territory. All that's missing is a bit of Tony Kim's shredding and... there it is, at the peak, but so brief. Huh, guess this was Justin's moment to shine. Just as well, since second track Ravens In The Sky slows things down a little, providing more guitar action among all the epic synths and whatnot. Man, almost too epic, getting into Dutch trance territory. Final track The Dawn is pure head-bangin' fare, or hair whip if that's your game. For those of us who are follicly challenged, however, a simple neck snap and throwing up of the devil horns will suffice.

Various - VVAA - The Sky Sampler Vol. 2

Espacio Cielo: 2022

This is another one of those 'when did I get this?' items – they seem to be growing more common within my Bandcamp library. I'm assuming someone shared a link to the label's homepage, I browsed a couple releases, then snagged a couple items. Who or why this happened by, your guess is as good as mine, a chance of happenstance discourse and all that.

Which hey, is fine and dandy this day in age, getting recommendations from friends and folks I trust opinions of. About the only other way to 'discover' something new is pure dumb luck. Oh, sure, I could go by what a streaming service's discovery algorithm thinks I may like based upon previous listening habits, but where's the fun in that? Nay, give me the alluring thrill of the hunt, the satisfying sense of accomplishment upon hearing music you hadn't considered before, possibly only shared by a handful of others in an increasingly over-saturated market. Also, streaming service discovery algorithms generally suck ass. Stop suggesting me Tim Hecker, got'dang it, I know who he is!

Anyhow, Espacio Cielo is a relatively new net label, emerging at the start of this decade with artists like Parissior, Azaria, Andreas Rund, MI.RO, and Cannibal Coconuts. Mostly a blend of space synth, dark disco, and New Beat acid, their oozing retro vibes are undeniably infectious (hm, I think I remember who put this on to me now). Couple that with early cover art cribbing planetary beauty shots, and it's no wonder why I'd at least give them at least a casual ear-glance. And what better place to get a sampling than a sampler compilation called VVAA – The Sky Sampler Vol 2?

David Body kicks things off with Inside Out, a total electro love-in with grand cosmic strings attached. No, seriously, how can one tracks sound so epic while being so booty-shakin'? Follow-up Cielo Rojo from Tierra de Ovnis almost can't help but be a bit of a let-down, a straight-forward mechanical chugger with sparse robotic noises. Cool as a transitional piece in a tech-house set, I guess, but man, after flying so high with Inside Out, I wasn't ready to come down from that space.

Silicodisco and Futuristant provide a track that's more in Espacio Cielo's wheelhouse, He's Coming, a fairly standard little cosmic disco outing, while Parissior's Resistance follows them with some gritty New Beat boogie. Finally, Jay-Son closes The Sky Sampler Vol 2 with Chronicles Of Hedonism, a tasty blend of synthwave and New Beat ...which I guess is officially called dark disco? I dunno, that genre always seems to have eight different people providing slightly different variants of a sound that's highly reminiscent of something that already exists. Genre rabbit holes, amirite?

So a glorious start to this compilation, with a solid enough run with the rest. Obviously I shouldn't go expecting mind-melting material from a self-professed sampler, but as a taste of what Espacio Cielo's about, this mini-comp accomplishes that.

Dance With The Dead - The Shape

Neuropa Records: 2016/2017

Yep, another Dance With The Dead review. This will be the last of 'em for quite a while though, their remaining releases way up in the front-half of the alphabet. Believe you me, it's gonna' be a lo-o-o-ong while before I loop around to the beginning of my queue again. How long? Hell, I'll be lucky to finish off my current clutch of 'S' albums before the start of spring!

The Shape is a significant album from the band for yours truly, in that it's the only one I have a physical copy of. How can that be though? Isn't the whole catch of bulk-buying a Bandcamp discography that it must be in a digital format? Erm, no? Like, I just did the same for Suntrip Records, not to mention others offering their catalogues on whole as well (Ultimae Records, to namedrop just one). But yes, it is rare, and typically only done through label offers, not artist pages. Plus, it's not like Dance With The Dead had such a deal available either. Did I simply buy a CD from the label re-issuing their catalogue then? Huh, never occurred to me to check out Neuropa Records. What are they, the Belgian version of Blood Music?

Regardless, I have this CD for no other reason than I bought it from the band's swag table. Yes, instead of laying down my last $20 on a couple more 'cheap' beers, I got myself a souvenir instead. Look, the counter was taken mostly up by Magic Sword's paraphernalia: t-shirts, stickers, posters, comic books, etc. All Dance With The Dead had was CDs and vinyl. Gotta' stick with what I collect, y'know?

Anyhow, let's talk about The Shape. As if the John Carpenter influences weren't clear before, the title comes from the actual name for Halloween slasher-star Michael Myers, as often referred to in script and novelization. Obviously this is common knowledge for fans of the franchise, but I feel like I'd be tut-tutted if I didn't at least mention it. I'm actually a bit surprised the cover-art didn't incorporate it somehow, instead going with this campy gothic horror motif instead.

Their third full-length, The Shape is Dance With The Dead finding their final form, hitting all the sweet spots that makes their blend of synthwave and shredding metal so endearing. The straight-up head-bangers (Eyes Of Madness, Screams And Whispers, Riot... holy Hell, is this one epic!), the slower, rugged chuggers (Diabolic), the more melodic driven numbers (Her Ghost, Watching You), the obligatory 'ballads' (Adrift, Quietly Into The Night), and that one track that feels like an entirely different genre. Seriously, add a little acid and Horizon would be a dead-ringer for some vintage S.U.N. Project. Buttrock goa will never die!

A good introduction to the band, then? Well, you could say that about any of their records after 2015, but yes, if you still haven't been zombie bit by them, The Shape is as solid as any of their albums to get infected by.

Dance With The Dead - Send The Signal

self-release: 2014

Spare some time for an anecdote?

The setting, a little post-clubbing afterparty, which is always nice being at when you're not quite ready for a night to be over. I didn't know these folks in the slightest, but sometimes the conversations you're having are just too good to let die. Still, it became clear to me that our musical tastes weren't so compatible. Lots of Drake, Bieber and the like being played, plus they could tell I was one of those guys, who knew too damn much about music (guilty as charged). But that's fine, I was having a fun enough time chit-chatting about other things (and watching the World Cup Final), so whatever music was playing wasn't a concern for me. Until it was.

At some point, I suggested music a bit more 'peppy', to which I was put on the spot to recommend something. Friends, that has to be the worst thing for me to be asked! Of all the music I know of, I now have to pare it down to just a singular song that my new one-night clubbing pals might enjoy. For some reason, my mind went to Dance With The Dead. It went over like an iridium weight in the atmosphere of Saturn.

I bring this up because, for a time after, I had a crisis of faith, a flailing sense of doubt over my own taste in music. Yeah, I know not everyone will dig what I dig, just as I won't dig what everyone else will dig, but surely Dance With The Dead was bullet-proof? How can some folks not get hype to those pounding darksynth rhythms, the soaring John Carpenter synth leads, and Tony Kim's righteous shredding?

I realize I may have over-committed to this band in buying their entire catalogue off Bandcamp, but man, perhaps I was wrong about enjoying the duo all along. Might they have always been cheesy, corny, and just not cool? Am I so out of touch? I mean, sure, I was one of the 'geezers' when I went to go see them in concert last year, throwing up devil's horns among a crowd of millennials, but might synthwave already be past its prime, with me clinging to a nostalgia of... *checks calendar* a decade old?

Then I listen to Poison off this Send The Signal mini-album, and all is right in the world again. Oh, Dance With The Dead, I can never stay doubtful of you.

Anyhow, Send The Signal is another of the band's earlier EPs, released after the Near Dark album. As such, we're in their era where the synth leads and rhythms dominate over a given track, Tony's guitar action still mostly relegated to a bit of soloing at a track's peak, if featured much at all. Of the six songs (plus an intro), they touch on all the synthwave bases, so a nice little appetizer of the Dance With The Dead stylee. Just, y'know, don't play it for J Cole fans.

Dance With The Dead - Out Of Body

self release: 2013

Going all the way back with this album. Back to the beginning. Back to where it all started. Back to the alpha and the omega. Back to your wildest imagination! No, wait, too far back. What is this, an '80s movie advertisement tie-in? Of course not, but as with most things synthwave, you bet Dance With The Dead would love to score an '80s love-in flick, even a video game. Come to think of it, I'm surprised they haven't appeared on something of the sort yet. Could it just be that, *gasp*, there simply isn't any interest in the synthwave scene anymore?

Honestly, I could see it. Yeah, when movies like Turbo Kid and games like Hotline Miami 2 made a splash, it was just about all the internet could talk about for a hot minute there. Lord knows I fell sway to the hype along with everyone else. A scene with that much exposure needs more than hype to sustain itself though. Many artists were able to push forward with their careers, but without that all-important cross-media penetration, it can only go so far before being relegated to faddery. I can't help but feel the game Cyberpunk 2077 was a make-or-break moment for synthwave as a whole, and while it certainly delivered on the musical front, the game's infamously buggy launch kinda' curtailed whatever momentum that scene still had going for it. Unless something truly fresh emerges, methinks synthwave is now and forever relegated to pure niche interests.

Which has absolutely little to do with the debut album of Dance With The Dead, Out Of Body ...or does it? Okay, it really doesn't. Justin and Tony seem to have found themselves a winning formula of synthwave-meets-metal that should keep them active for as long as they wish to pursue this career. You probably wouldn't have guessed it based on this first effort though, Out Of Body showing clear signs of still finding their voices. Frankly, there's little on here that would distinguish them from most up-and-coming synthwavers of the early '10s (and boy were there ever a lot of 'em, believe you me).

Yeah, Tony's guitar solos are present, but far from the prominent feature they would become. In fact, of the fourteen tracks (plus an intro), only five of them have a proper shred-out moment, and only at the climax of a given track. If there's any guitar leads or rhythm support, it's quite buried in the mix, which wouldn't surprise me given that Out Of Body does have that unfortunate bricked mastering a lot of synthwave used early on.

So this may not be Dance With The Dead as they became, but there's still a lot of fun synthy tunes on hand, some brisk, others slowed, a few epic, others sombre, and even a little disco-dancey. Erm, maybe too much, the album dragging a little by the end. Nice of them to pare their LPs down some later on, but hey, growing pains.

Dance With The Dead - Near Dark

self released: 2014

Stepping back in time with this one, but what else is new with these discography dives, eh? Okay, my recent Twitter ones actually are chronological, but that's a totally different gimmick. Not that me buying up someone's entire catalogue off Bandcamp is much of a gimmick either, but at least my alphabetical stipulation throws a little variety in their sequence. Besides, there's a couple discographies I've gone chronological too, such as Pet Shop Boys and... hmm, gosh, is that all? Feel like there's more I could do, should do. What other act out there have I not done a single review of, but really do like, actually? There's got to be some.

Anyhow, I think we're well caught up on what's the deal regarding Dance With The Dead. Near Dark was their second album, third overall following the EP Into The Abyss. And if there was any indication it didn't take long for Justin Pointer and Tony Kim to figure out what their sound could entail, this here LP is proof-positive. For sure synthwave that leans heavy into its rockier attributes was well established by the mid-'10s, but these chaps, they figured out the perfect blend to push it just that little bit extra, a sweetening of melody and mush of mosh. I really can't explain it any better how their style of synths 'n' thrash is set as such perfect levels here, and carried on to this day. Is it for everyone? Probably not, but for what I want out this music, I couldn't ask for more.

I've got a lot of word count left to burn here, so how about some good ol' track-by-track descriptions, then. Opener Invader sets us off with a stomping half-time beat that marches along with backing arps and synths stabs before Tony's guitar gets its wailing solo action on. A fairly straight-forward tune, then unleashes some low-end shredding for a propah' head-bangin' finale. Now that your body is warmed up, let's up the tempo with Dressed To Kill with more of those gnarly bass-synths powering forward as synths do those vintage '80s horror movie riffs. A little muted breakdown gives us pause, then bring it all back for another sweet guitar solo. Go on, raise those devil horns, I know you want to.

Waves goes more the synth-pop route, the guitar action in support rather than the previous two, but Tony gets plenty of shred time in Midnight Never Ends, even as the synths get their trance on. Speaking of 'ravey' music, Andromeda does that thing Frankie Bones loves to do wherein it sounds like the music is coming from some distant area, maybe a warehouse, before emerging through the rain in full concert glory.

Holy cow, I've burned through a lot of words fast, and I still have half an album left. Uh, Eye Of The Storm: synth ballad. Near Dark: heavy rocker. The Pitt: heavy synther with soloing. Graveyard Shift: spooky rocker. Riser: closing credits-er. There, a vintage track-by-track review! Dope album, too.

Dance With The Dead - Loved To Death

self release: 2018

Once, a long, long time ago, I had a chance to see Dance With The Dead on tour, the supporting act of long-standing machismo-shredders Dragonforce. I didn't go because in those days, you took clubbing and concerts for granted, always assuming they'd always be there, whenever the whim struck you. Never did you conceive of it all shutting down for 'reasons'. Should they ever re-open, and the band tour once more in my nook of the world, no way in Hell I was gonna' take them for granted, no sir (and I didn't, too).

I bring all this up because, had I gone to that show in the before-times, this was the album Dance With The Dead were touring with at the time. Honestly, that isn't much of a revelation, in that my exposure to the band was so raw and new, I couldn't I.D. any of their songs (I highly doubt they'd perform their version of GosT's Reign In Hell). In some ways, it's irrelevant which songs would have more prominence over others, in that they do all kinda' aesthetically blend together. Some rip faster, others shred harder, but the core elements of each tune – synths, guitars, heavy chugging rhythms, nods to '80s soundtracks – remain intact for much of the band's discography. And it's all the more awesome for it!

Loved To Death gets going with Go!, Dance With The Dead wasting no time getting the goings on. The beats are brisk, the guitar powers forward, and the synth leads are oh-so glorious. How can you not want to bang your head to this? Throw up a devil's horn or two? Epic adventure in spooky, sci-fi dwellings beckon, so strap on your finest Adidas, hop on your BMX bikes, and let's fight against the alien murder robots invading some misty Maine backwoods.

Follow-up Into The Shadows carries on with high-octane shredding synthwave action, then things slow down considerably for a while. Salem lets synth melodies take the lead, though Tony Kim still gets his chance to solo towards the end, while Portraits almost goes reflective and chill, at least as chill as a synth-metal band can go without going full ballad. War almost gets you thinking the heavy beat action is returning with the band's chugging basslines and building arp leads, but the song surprisingly breaks down for some soft electro, piano and burbling acid action. Even a return of the gattling-gun bassline isn't enough to lift War out of its newfound contemplative mood.

The second half of Loved To Death features more tunes of similar ilk as the side A: heavy beat chuggers (From Hell, Become Wrath), moody synth-led numbers (Red Moon, Oracle), and that one rippin' tune that sounds more ravey than rocky (From Hell). Obviously if the idea of synth-metal-wave has little interest to you, then this album ain't for you, doing little to shake the genre's foundations away from its most appealing attributes. For those of us in for the ride though... wooooo!!

Dance With The Dead - Into The Abyss

self release: 2014

So I got all of Dance With The Dead, the entire Bandcamp catalogue, all ten main releases. Why would I go and do something like that? I've only heard one track of theirs, and it's a remix at that. Yeah, but it's also one of the most awesome tracks I've ever heard, their go with Gost's Reign In Hell an all-timer in getting me absolutely fuckin' hype. If the rest of their catalogue is even a fraction as dope, then a bounty of kick-ass synth-metal must exist.

Where to start though? I could sift through each album before dropping some coin, but y'all know I prefer the exhilarating reactions of unheard purchases. All the cover art is retro fun, like browsing the Horror section of your local VHS rental shop, so hard to decide just on those merits. Wait a minute, everything is only two dollars more than buying a single album? Heck, may as well go with that option. Might help break up my ongoing coverage of the entire catalogues of Lucette Bourdin and Speedy J.

And thus, by Alphabetical Decree (re: what's currently slotted in the ongoing queue), we're starting this deep dive into Dance With The Dead with Into The Abyss. It's... not the most typical of their releases, that's for sure. Like, their iconography is very much in a George A. Romero vein, and this cover art is anything but. I guess it being one of their earliest EPs – in fact, their second release overall, if the Bandcamp dates are believed – the duo had yet to establish much of a proper identity. If finding influence from something a little more Cameron than Carpenter was where their heads were at, so be it.

After an intro of sonar pings and ominous tones letting us know that, yes, we are indeed descending into the depths of the bounding main, Battle holds little back in delivering the epic synthwave stylee: epic build, choir pads, stomping rhythms, squealing vintage synths, and that triumphant guitar action from Tony Kim. Perhaps not as tear-out as you'd expect from a track titled Battle, but gotta' save a little of that for later in.

From there, we get Moon Runner, a track that- wait, “Moon” Runner? I thought we were going into dark, oceanic domains. What's a tune that would sound better fitted in a Dynatron collection doing here? Well, it's a cool tune regardless, if rather typical of mid-'10s synthwave. Let's get back to that propah' Dance With The Dead synth-n-metal action on Mask (and hey, sonar pings again – way to tie things back to the EPs theme, guys!) and Odyssey (ooh, that bassline's almost as good as the on on Reign In Hell). By contrast, Suede sounds more like it should be the opening credits theme to a classic arcade game, while No Survivors wants to be the closing credits to a Cameron film, orchestral swells and all. Mmm, stick to the shredding, mates. (and they would too)

Various - Adykt

Dyadik: 2021

So I get an email from Touched Music via their Bandcamp page, as you do when you subscribe to artist and label pages. I normally don't pay them much attention, inundated with updates from multiple subscriptions as I am. This one though, caught my attention with big proclamations of this being an immediate second-run of CD copies, the first selling out so quickly. Well gosh, if that don't trigger my FOMO like few other items. Who cares if I know nothing of this Dyadik label, or that out of twenty-two tracks on this double-LP, I only recognize John Tejada? LIMITED QUANTITIES! FAST SELL-OUT! Man, is Adykt ever an appropriate name for this compilation.

Still, there was a nice bit of nostalgic thrill, diving into a compilation with practically no info or background of what I was getting into. Heck, I only assumed this would be on the ambient techno spectrum because of the Touched Music association. It could have been grime for all I knew. In fact, the track Oliver Sutton, We On from Min-Y-Llan has some of the rappity-raps going on, which is weird considering the backing track sounds like some electro-ambient thing. Oh, and it's produced by the guy behind the Touched compilations, that's weird too. Or unexpected, at least.

But nay, CD1 opens with exm's Kolder, a gentle bit of loopy, shoegazey, piano ambience as I'd expect. HRYM's Heimferd follows and, good gosh, is this Balearic trance? It sure gives me those classic Solarstone feels, though just a little more subtle with its rhythms. Weld's Premises goes glitch-hop, while dialed's The Cat's Whiskers actually does go acid-grime. Okay, Adykt, you've sold me. You're one of those 'anything goes' compilations, aren't you? Even if I don't end up liking all the tracks, I appreciate the gumption.

Fortunately, there's plenty to enjoy. The synthwave vibes of Buspin Jieber's Never Say These Words. The old-timey Berlin-School leaning If You Had One from The Gasman. The classic neurofunk of Karsten Plfum's Breaks And Morphoids. The chiptune quirkiness of DTACK's Polyhedra. Plus a whole pile of ambient techno, braindance, acid, and chill electro scattered about the rest. I actually do recognize a couple others artists since picking Adykt up – Urban Meditation, Drøn, Z-Arc... I think. Plenty more are totally new to me though, with oddball aliases that really put your character key skills to the test (Auberg1ne, MⒶ, ΠΕΡΑ ΣΤΑ ΟΡΗ).

On one hand, that's great, in that plenty of folks are getting extra shine, especially those who haven't had much after many years making music. On the other hand, you're gonna' have to do some serious sleuthing in hunting down everyone here. Despite being around a couple years now (so sayeth Lord Discogs), this Dyadik label only has three releases to its name. Is Martin Boulton (the aforementioned Min-Y-Llan) just more focused on Touched than keeping pace with this print? Whatever the case, here's hoping Adykt acts as a springboard of sorts for future releases from these artists. They deserve it.

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.

Dynatron - The Legacy Collection Vol. I

Blood Music: 2016/2019

Those initial re-issues of Dynatron's first two albums must have done well for Blood Music, as following their release, we got The Legacy Collection. Two whole volumes of it, in fact! Or they were simply stop-gap items tiding us over until Jeppe Hasseriis released another long-player. Hey, it worked for Perturbator, one of the label's hottest talents at the time. Only trouble is the Dynatron project went relatively silent after that. I believe he did some touring, but on the production front, practically nothing since 2016's The Rigel Axiom EP. It was four years before he put out another EP, Surveillance, which in synthwave years may as well be a decade. I'm sure Jeppe has his reasons for keeping Dynatron on hold for so long, but in a scene filled with fly-by-night artists, absence does tend to lead to forgetfulness.

Which is partially why it took me so long to check out these Legacy Collection albums. I honestly thought another LP was right around the corner from Aeternus, and when it did not materialize, thoughts of Dynatron simply drifted on by. It was only another of Blood Music's CD sales that I spotted them and thought, “Oh yeah, Dynatron. Haven't heard from him in a while. May as well snatch these up while they're still available.”

And you may think, he only put out two albums, just how much odds 'n' sods material can he possibly have to warrant two Legacy Collections? Not that much, to be honest, which makes both volumes rather odd. For instance, Vol I takes most of his assorted EP material and serves it up as is. That includes Throttle Up, Flashbacks, plus a track from the Fireburner EP (not Fireburner though). These are arranged as though you're playing the EPs one after the other, which isn't that big a deal, except Flashbacks included an Intro of starship ambience, someone (or something?) inquiring a computer over the status of cryo-sleeping crew. Hey, cool beans and all, but this comes smack in the middle of this CD. Wouldn't it have made more sense to have the Intro at the start?

Eh, whatever, it's not a big deal, just niggling nitpicking for its own sake. What matters is the music on hand, and the two EPs featured here deliver. The Throttle Up material is all about that cosmic adventure vibe, space synth played at a synthwave tempo – yes, there is a difference. 37 Million Horsepower even features a little guitar shredding, perfect sounds for hot-rodding on meteorites. Following that mid-LP Intro, we're into Flashbacks, a much slower, chill collection of tunes. While Save The Moment has me reminded of Weather Network muzak, Cruiser is really getting in on that Jan Hammer stylee. The lone Fireburner cut that isn't Fireburner - Cosmo Black - is fairly standard Dynatron stuff, but a nice capper on this collection. As is Looking Back Part II, if you sprung for the CD. Which I did. Both of them, in fact!

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.

Kriistal Ann - Delirious Skies

Werkstatt Recordings/Wave Records: 2014/2017

Not her first album, but considering it was the only one of Ms. Ann's Werkstatt recordings to get a re-issue with Wave Records, I feel safe calling it her breakout. It's better than Refraction too, Kriistal's actual debut rather rough and under-produced. Not that the whole minimalist, coldwave aesthetic is known for its cutting-edge studio quality – indeed, the rawer the better – but the songcraft was still comparatively basic. Sometimes you just need to get that out of your system though, expunge those hesitant jitters, get a feel for what works and what doesn't. Right, she wasn't any rookie, having already been making music with Toxic Razor for half a decade to that point. Something something solo spotlight versus shared stage, and all that.

I feel like I'm spinning lyrical wheels here. I want to hype Delirious Skies because it's the Kriistal Ann album that has She Walks In Beauty on it. That piece of music makes me feel things I didn't know I was capable of, and I fully admit it was the absolute best setting to hear it the first time doing that. There's nothing like seeing freshly-lain snow, two feet deep, over a mountain pass as twilight settles upon a starry sky, all the while hearing an all-encompassing mechanical bassline and icy synth leads as Ms. Ann's ethereal voice sing-recites poetry from Lord Byron. Holy cow, I get chills even thinking it!

It's also such a significant leap above in mood and tone compared to the music on Refraction, it feels like much of Delirious Skies is in service of bridging the gap. The opening salvo of songs Fortune Of Medea, Fright, and Punisher do sound stronger and more confident in vocal delivery (Ms. Ann's “ohh-ooh”s in Fright seem off-key to my ears, but she fully commits to giving it her all regardless), with the minimalist coldwave production tighter and punchier. Then she goes into more avent garde territory, with harsher synths, clunkier rhythms, and less singing in favour of operatic spoken-word delivery. Is there a technical term for that? I'm sure there is, like a whole Gothic sub-genre of it.

Anyhow, I don't like it as much, but again do appreciate the branching out. As mentioned, it all comes off in service of building Kriistal Ann into her final form as presented in She Walks In Beauty. And as if to sell the point any stronger, the Wave Records re-issue included a bonus track, Jewel Throne, which sounds leaps beyond even the album's earlier tracks, closer to what her later releases would become.

I'm not so foolish as to try and recommend Delirious Skies to anyone beyond the most ardent coldwave cultists. This remains incredibly niche music, and trying to sell it as anything but makes me feel like a Pitchforkian hipster gushing over witch house. Kriistal Ann simply struck the right endorphin trigger for yours truly, but who knows, maybe she will yours too. Maybe wait for a returning winter though.

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.