MIKE TEMPLAR - Black Lodge

Swiss synthwave and electro musician, MIKE TEMPLAR unveils his first vocal retro electro offering, Black Lodge, the new single from his upcoming album "Digital Death" which is a fusion of new wave, French house, funk, electronic rock, synthwave and goth. "Black Lodge" is also Mike Templar’s vocal debut. The single is now available on Bandcamp and will be released on major platforms on June 12.

Based on David Lynch's and Mark Frost's "Twin Peaks" series, Black Lodge is a reminder of how easy it is to get swallowed up by the dark side as one forgets to nourish their soul, and a reminder of the value of love and its timeless values. “Fight back and fight off lending energies to narcissists and those who don’t value you and your time, so that the light in all our souls and our successors remains illuminated,” Mike Templar explains. Funky and groovy, dipped in French house, blog house and reminiscent of early Daft Punk and MGMT, Black Lodge surprises with its unique vibe and expressive undulating synth and riveting guitar performances under Templar’s distinctive vocal work.

The full length album “Digital Death” will be released in the summer, featuring vocals from several guest artists, as well as some guitar interludes by Mike Templar himself and a sax solo number by his father.

Known for his nuanced instrumental works, Mike Templar’s musical range and palette transcends several electro genres. His notable works include his dystopian sci-fi electro opera TROM, an 18-track masterpiece featuring lyrics and vocals by Millenium Falck and an accompanying novel about a group of rebels fighting a political federation. His last single prior to Black Lodge and forerunner to his upcoming record, entitled Digital Death showcases more of Mike Templar’s cerebral and prodigious approach to progressive electronic composition.

For more Mike Templar, visit miketemplar.bandcamp.com

MICHAEL OAKLEY - Is There Anybody Out There

Toronto-based Scottish artist, singer-songwriter and producer Michael Oakley has been an iconic fixture in the Retrowave electro scene along with fellow contemporaries Ollie Wride, Nina, Parallels, and Dana Jean Phoenix. He made his retrowave debut in 2017 with his album California, followed by 2019’s critically-acclaimed Introspect.

Michael unveils the visuals for his latest single “Is There Anybody Out There", off of his highly-anticipated LP entitled Odyssey . Directed by Los Angeles-based filmmaker, Brad A. Kinnan (a favorite in the electro scene for his stylistic brand of retro-inspired visual treatments), the neon-lit music video gives nod to 90s electro with stylish visuals and hyper dynamic editing, and an electrifying dance number (by performance artist Murphy), reminiscent of the smokey underground club kid era. Michael in his classic, effortlessly cool signature look gives a delightful effervescent performance as he croons and gets emotive in between flashes and waves of vibrant neon lights, wondering “is there anybody out there?”

We sure are here.

Check out the video now on New Retrowave.

Michael Oakley is part of New Retrowave Records. Keep updated with his news and visit www.michael-oakley.com

DARKROOM DATA - Groovata

Art electro duo Darkroom Data follows up their second single, a retropop ballad Hydrogen, with their new electro pop odyssey Groovata. The new single is a playful collage of sound and features a distinctive sample from the 80s UK band ‘The System’, produced by Bob Lamb whose credits include UB40 and Duran Duran.

“Groovatta is an invitation to step inside the curious smoke, like an anxious bird, flying to nowhere. Equally absent, equally present. Free-falling in a deep ocean of reverb and climbing on the spine of an arpeggiator, to rediscover all the things you will never live again and embrace the blank spaces of life, that can become anything,” explains the duo.

Visuals for the track were created by experimental filmmaker Moema Pascolini using a combination of found footage and film painting technique.

Darkroom Data are an indie electro pop duo, comprising Irish vocalist Gillian NoVa and Brazilian composer Márcio Paz. Their sound features expressive, atmospheric soundscapes, converging with flourishing melodic hooks and expansive rhythmic allure. Tones range from the warm and cinematic to the bittersweet melancholic , serving as a decadent call out to the mysterious and contentious.

Previous single "Hydrogen" achieved ample praise for its nocturnal synth-driven pop sound, charting on Hype Machine’s most popular list and receiving press from outlets like Podcart, Obscure Sound, Son of Marketing, Indie Buddie, and AnalogueTrash. Press has compared Darkroom Data to acts like Chromatics, College, London Grammar, CHVRCHS, and Niki & the Dove.

Prior releases have shown the duo’s encounters with dark, fantastical characters and a yearning for lost, late-night spaces. With a more expansive exploration of audio collage, lost samples, and velvet synths, their next upcoming release promises a headier deep dive into Darkroom Data’s peculiar world, which touts a decidedly cinematic character, reminiscent of Polanski and David Lynch, as if Chinatown or Blue Velvet were set in small-town Ireland.

The duo’s fusion of skills and artistic inspirations result in a musical chemistry that is unique and beguiling. NoVa brings an evocative, storyteller’s sensibility to the modern synth-pop genre; her vocals traverse the sweet and ethereal, and are at other times dark and soulful. Gillian fronted Irish indie rock band The Eyelid Show in the 2000s and has released a series of electro-pop collaborations over the last three years.

Although the main producer for the project, Paz is an artist first, composing and songwriting from an early age. With musical roots in Tropicalia, Clube da Esquina, and ‘90s grunge and pop scenes, Paz’s musical muscle alternates from fresh, dance floor pump to jazz club smooth. He has performed as a guitarist in bands since his teens and began his journey in soundscape design when he trained with multimedia artist André Thitcho. Drawn more to composition and sound development, he transitioned to the universe of aesthetics and production of sounds and noises. He is now more than happy to attest that he “plays computers.”

For more Darkroom Data, visit www.darkroomdata.com

PLATRONIC - Maybe Someday

Platronic latest track Maybe Someday laments over binational couples who remain apart due to COVID19 travel restrictions for months, if not over a year. As a binational duo, the synth and electro duo wants to support the #loveisnottourism movement and decided to dedicate this song to the couples all over the world who are longing and suffering. MAYBE SOMEDAY is a very emotional and atmospherical acid symphony influenced by the sound of 80s icons like Kraftwerk, early OMD, German Synthpop Band Propaganda (Claudia Brücken) and of course Depeche Mode.

A song about love and hope, Platronic shares their deep hope that MAYBE SOMEDAY will turn into a SOON or NOW to reunite all these desperate lovers, couples and families all over the world.

Platronic was founded by Finnish composer, producer SOME-E and German singer-songwriter Kay Burden. What started 2019 on Instagram with the idea of doing a track together in the foreseeable future, surprisingly turned into a real duo on the 24th of February 2020. Platronic released their debut single Pride in July 2020, followed by Dreams in October 2020 which charted at number 17 on the official German Alternative Charts. Platronic mixes retrowave and synth pop sounds that bring artists like Kirlian Camera, VNV Nation and ABBA to mind, with their own twist and updates to modern nostalgia genre.

For more Platronic, visit: platronicmusic.com