RUNAWAY DROID | LIGHTYEARS

Runaway Droid Releases Epic Outerspace-Themed LP “LIGHTYEARS”

Helsinki, Finland has a growing synthwave scene that has been making waves in the global synth community for some time, centering around a main hub known as The Helsinki Synth City. One of their premiere artists is Finnish metal guitarist, artist and producer RUNAWAY DROID (a.k.a. ANA). The prolific yet enigmatically stylish artist has released his 4th full-length record, LIGHTYEARS, inspired by themes of outerspace exploration in the future. The record seamlessly blends a multitude of electronic genres spanning synthwave, retrowave, cyberpunk, future funk, post-punk, to pop, rap, rock and metal to create a cinematic atmosphere while carrying some serious bangers with iconic references. The album features several vocal collaborations from fellow global synth artists: C Z A R I N A (New York City) on the post-punk Michael Jackson homage “Moonwalker,” Mark Cooper (Detroit) on “Trek Wars” and “On the Line,” Colin Cayvz (Las Vegas) on “Thunder in Your Eyes,” Levinsky (Helsinki) on “Rocket Machine,” Millennium Falck (Helsinki) on the Bon Jovi cover “It’s My Life,” and R0kyu (Helsinki) on “Hellbound.”

For more on Runaway Droid, visit runawaydroid.bandcamp.com

VH x RR | “Persistence of Memory”

VH x RR’s Debut EP "Persistence of Memory”

Cold wave electronic duo VH x RR ‘s much awaited debut EP has dropped through Lakeshore Records. The sublime 5-track offering gives nod to new wave nostalgia, but modernized and stylized with artfully crafted atmospheric dynamics, bright, shimmery arpeggiated synths over heavy, undulating bass grooves reminiscent of early Depeche Mode and New Order. Vocalist Rob Rowe delivers a new brand of irresistible smoky romance through nonchalant lyricism and moody vibe that would make listeners stop dead at their tracks and dance along.

VH x RR was founded in 2016 by Kent “Von” Hertzog and Rob Rowe. Hertzog reached out to Rowe on Twitter and essentially cold-called him to see if they could work together. They got along well, realizing that their lives had a lot of parallels—both were working for themselves in the ad world and both had in-home studios that allowed them to quickly sketch ideas and share them over the Internet. As we could see, the two could create magic.

For more info on VH x RR, visit vhxrr.bandcamp.com

GHOST COP | “Hey Mister”

New York-Based Electronic Duo Sends a Chilling Warning in Ominous Video

In HEY MISTER [video | bandcamp], the new single by New York electronic duo GHOST COP,  a lurid tale of predation and murder is drawn out over a slow and brooding cinematic soundscape. Sean Dack’s stark and ominous programming compliments the abstract and enigmatic spoken word of Lucy Swope, as she deadpans the story of a female serial killer who flips the script on would-be sexual predators. In the video, elements of surveillance technology mediate ideas of power and control, and the band’s interest in genre films becomes apparent in visuals and aesthetics that take their cues from neo-noir and giallo films (their previous video, ENHANCE, was a nod to low-budget horror, and was accepted into multiple film festivals). Both the song and the video were created within the band’s 500 sq ft Manhattan apartment and nearby environs during the Covid-19 outbreak this spring.

The release was timed to support artists affected by the global pandemic. GHOST COP donated all proceeds during Bandcamp Day earlier this month to National Bail Out, with a personal match to Black Lives Matter.