synthwave

The Mythology of Technology: Astral Tales’ new album, The Last Resplendent

Astral Tales’ new release, The Last Resplendent, marks the end of the Red Iris Saga. Or should I say the beginning? I have presented Astral Tales’ body of work here, but let’s recap the story so...

Perturbator - promotional picture

Crossing the Uncanny Valley – Perturbator, Société des Arts Technologiques (Montréal), May 13th, 2019.

Perturbator is without a doubt the best known synthwave artist presently active. What is less known, however, is that Perturbator is James Kent, son of Nick Kent, journalist for the seminal British mu...

Synth Riders VR Presents the FiXT Essentials Playlist, Vol. 1

Hey. Hey kid. You like VR? How about synthwave? Do you like soaring across the vast, vector-graphic landscapes of the Grid? Of course you do, it’s the 21st century. Lucky for you, I got a new, 1...

Red Iris, from Landing - The Illustrated Story (artist: Magdalena Radjiej - used with Astral Tales permission)

Red Iris: a synthwave saga – presenting Astral Tales

In the avalanche of synthwave released in the last decade or so, artists have to be inventive to stand out. Hailing from Spain, Astral Tales had the good idea to tell a story. On the course of three f...

“…let us steal their souls.” Ritual Debasement by Varigator

With 9 tracks of in-your-face darkwave, Varigator’s first album Ritual Debasement is here to spread some sweet electronic corruption. Ritual Debasement. The name caught me before the synths did. With ...

‘In the end, there were only images’: A Review of Until the End of the World

Ah, here I am again reviewing a hidden cyberpunk-styled gem for you guys. Yes, it has been a little while, but today I kickstart my reviews with a chunky film that hovers around the four-hour mark! Di...

Cyberpunk Music Dossier – January 2018

Mujiko naka~tsu – NO ACCIDENT (2012) A soft start for this month’s dossier. Midwest Collective was at the forefront of vaporwave back before it really coalesced and dropped this gem in 2012. I’v...

Cyberpunk Music Dossier – October 2017

It’s been a year since I started writing these. I still haven’t been offered a job as a licensed cyberlimb repairman, nor have I taken to operating exclusively out of backstreet squats or abandoned st...

Cyberpunk Music Dossier – September 2017

Exceptionalism? What a joke. I get it though, I really do. You’re just a kid and up until now you’ve had a parent or two who’s been telling you that you’re clever and talented and if you work hard eno...