DIAMOND FIELD

Written by C Z A R I N A with Excerpts from Diamond Field’s Press Release

Diamond Field releases an album of “21st Century ‘80s Music.”

“Every song has elements that remind me of my favorite ‘80s songs; from Howard Jones, to Flock Of Seagulls, to The Cure, to Nik Kershaw, to Toto, to Chicago. It’s a feast. So good.” – Matthew J. Ruys, vocalist.

After a run of outstanding singles, on July 30th NYC’s DIAMOND FIELD unveils their self-titled debut album of 10 brand new songs, shimmering with the sound of the the 1980s. Diamond Field’s Andy Diamond worked on the album with vocalists and musicians from across the U.S., to Scotland and New Zealand. All fine artists in their own right, vocalists include Cody Carpenter (Ludrium, John Carpenter), Chelsea Nenni (Late Slip), Nik Brinkman (Junica, Over The Atlantic), Belinda Bradley (Selon Recliner), Kyle Brauch (MIDWAVE, Rain Rabbit), Becca Starr and Miriam Clancy, with return appearances from previous Diamond Field collaborators Nina Luna and Matthew J. Ruys. The Saxophone Warrior (Felix Pastorius’ Hipster Assassins, Fischerspooner, Lord Huron) makes a special appearance on sax, with LA’s Rodger Cunningham on guitar. Andy has also performed and recorded with many of these artists outside of Diamond Field, making the collaboration process feel like a musical family affair.

Diamond Field’s sound is inspired by ‘80s producers like Hugh Padgham (Phill Collins, The Police), Rupert Hine (Howard Jones, The Fixx) and Peter Wolf (Wang Chung, Survivor), whose production techniques mixed traditional instruments with the latest tech of the time. On Diamond Field, electric guitars, bass, and ‘real’ drums are combined with drum machines, sequencers, and synthesizers; vocals are up front and stacks of backing vocals regularly fill out the choruses.

For the songwriting, inspiration comes from many places – from ABBA to Michael Sembello, The Go Go’s to Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark. Careful attention is given to song arrangements – intros to draw you in, pre-choruses build, choruses soar, solos and middle eights keep you engaged. Hooks are everywhere and stick in your head – this is “ear worm central”! Despite the varied song styles and different vocalists, Diamond Field still feels like a cohesive album – like a compilation of pop hits, but all from one artist.

All the album’s tracks were written before the covid-19 pandemic with final mixing taking place over the course of 2020 and early 2021. By chance, many of the song lyrics deal with hope and positivity, and combined with the album’s catchy music, it makes Diamond Field an ideal soundtrack as find our way forward.

The record starts with the very up-beat New Situation which features vocals by Nina Luna. The track harkens classic 80s new wave with its catchy hook and easy back-beats carrying anthemic toplines. Back-up vocals and traditional rock drumming styles are reminiscent of early Peter Gabriel and Genesis ballads.

Then the record takes a roaring, bombastic jazzy turn that bring old New York midtown jazz joints and prime time New York television shows to mind, with the piano, guitar, brass and saxophone work in Bring Back Love, featuring vocals and stacked harmonies by Matthew J. Ruys. This track gives a true New York classic vibe that stems all the way from ‘20s Flapper era that shaped the city’s core signature sound that has been a staple in every major New York event.

Glowing In The Dark shows that Diamond Field is just as effective with pared down instrumentation. A lot more simple in composition than the previous track, Glowing In The Dark featuring vocals by Miriam Clancy, still captivates with its retro, ‘80s vibe in a refreshingly understated execution. Steady arpeggiated bass undulates and carries the Kate Bush-esque vocals and fine saw-edged flourishes and sonic guitar swells.

In This Moment features smooth and emotive vocals by Nik Brinkman. The track presents a unique combination of early 90s synth pop / alt rock hybrid in its utilization of organic rock drums, understated bass lines, paired with ornamental guitar, crystalline synth toplines and backdrop flourishes.

Spills Like Love, featuring vocals by Cody Carpenter, spills in with tantric synth riffs and thumping large bass notes. More worldly and city pop in nature, this track offers quite an eclectic feast in its writing that is reminiscent of Phil Collins and Peter Gabriel with the heavy, funky grooves and key solos.

It’s Your Time features the dynamic vocals of Becca Starr that seem to crescendo to new heights with perfect ease. Bright, melodic and beautifully layered with giant chords off-set by delicate bells in perfect transitions, It’s Your Time is easily one of the record’s darling highlights with the sheer power of its delivery.

Like Glowing In The Dark, the next track A Kiss Apart, featuring vocals by Belinda Bradley, is also one of the more pared down tracks in writing with simple back-beats and bass riffs, but still delivers a smooth-sailing caressing number. The vocals reminiscent of romanticized Bonnie Rait gently hover over giant synth riffs, organic drums and ethereal pads with a steadily unaffected bass undercurrent.

Used To Be, featuring Chelsea Nenni, goes classic ‘80s rock and roll with vocals that remind of young Stevie Nicks. Keys and guitar harmonic solos punch in and out in tight rhythm over funky yet steady bass grooves, sprinkled with shimmering synth flourishes in the backdrop, sculpting more dimension to this solidly rock-out track.

Look To The Stars featuring Kyle Baruch, carries one of the most pumping, groovy and hyper-complex funk, jazz, bass with saxophone work. Another record highlight, it also features effortless supreme vocals and gives way to some seriously unique choice of vibey saw-edge bass breakdowns that just punch you in the gut each time.

The record wraps up with a bang in the ‘80s retro Out Here For Love, featuring Matthew J. Rays’ sublime vocals. The track starts with dramatic synths that speedily crescendo along Asian scales as guitars noodle in hyper solo true to retro heroics against down right punchy bass, key riffs and bouncy 808s. Giant chord and vocal progressions harken childhood memories and television shows of our animated or costumed heroes.

The result is an eclectic wonder of a record that is masterfully unique and that can stand alone with its own perspective and amalgamation of musical DNA, transcending a plethora of genres. It gives its retro flavor, but without being too affected or too honed in on trends, paying utmost respect to dynamic, nuanced writing afforded by the wide range of Diamond Field’s influences. The complex layers in the composition and the arrangements, along with the distinctive choice of vocalists showcase a seasoned, bold musician and producer with a vision that he can call his own. All we can say is Bravo! This is a record that everyone must listen to and take notes from.

About Diamond Field:

Diamond Field’s debut single in 2014 with Nina (Luna) Yasmineh ‘Neon Summer’ made an immediate impact, being named as one of the “top synthpop songs” of 2014 by pioneering synthwave outlet Synthetix FM. An instrumental version of ‘Neon Summer’ is used as the title music for Big Bike BMX’s popular YouTube channel. The 2015 cover of David Lynch and Angelo Badalamenti’s ‘The Nightingale’ (from Twin Peaks) with Rat Rios on vocals, continues to turn out new fans on a daily basis. 2015’s ‘This City’ with Matthew J. Ruys found its way into an episode of the New Zealand TV drama Filthy Rich (streaming on Hulu). 2017’s ‘Closer’ (also featuring Rat Rios) featured on Aztec Records’ Pure Retrowave Vol. 1 compilation alongside Nina, Sunglasses Kid, and Phaserland. In 2019 Diamond Field teamed-up with ‘80s BMX freestyle legend Bob Haro for their OMD/Pet Shop Boys-inspired single ‘Won’t Compromise’. Also in 2019, Diamond Field with Dana Jean Phoenix contributed the exclusive track ‘Freedom Pass’ to the compilation Vehlinggo Presents: 5 Years, along with The Midnight, Le Matos and Anoraak.

Remixes of Diamond Field’s singles by other artists have proved equally as popular in their own right. Morgan Willis’ remix of ‘Closer’ has had over 150K plays across streaming services, thanks to its appearance on New Retro Wave’s YouTube channel. Remixes from Sunglasses Kid, Phantom Ride, Le Flex, Dream Fiend, Furniteur, Vincenzo Salvia and others have collectively hit six figures, bringing many new listeners into the Diamond Field fold.

Production-wise, Diamond Field has been working with Bob Haro on his solo synthpop project, providing additional production, mixing and remixes. Diamond Field also lent a hand in vocal production and remixes for Bunny X and has remixed songs for a number of artists including Roxi Drive, Initial Talk, Von Hertzog, Retroglyphs, Stereospread, Matthew J. Ruys and Tangerine Beams.

As for “21st Century ‘80s Music” – Diamond Field believes this to be a descriptive way of describing its overall sound. For others, the music might fall under “synthwave” or “retrowave” but referencing the sounds of the ‘80s being made in 2021, and what that implies, puts a more accurate spin on things.

Diamond Field releases through their own label, Luca Discs, who in 2020 released Initial Talk’s single‘Skydiving’ with UK vocalist Sasha Brown. Initial Talk has had huge success with their official ‘80s style remixes for Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue, Sia and Perfume Genius, with over 20 million plays on Spotify alone.

Diamond Field will be available on LP, cassette, Bandcamp and all streaming services. The physical release will be available on limited edition hot pink vinyl with a 12x24” insert and on high quality cassette distributed via LA-based boutique vinyl label Sofa King Vinyl. In 2019 Sofa King Vinyl released Diamond Field and Bob Haro’s ‘Won’t Compromise’ on colored 7” vinyl, the first title in Sofa King’s “Synthy Sevens” series which included 7” vinyl releases from Let Em Riot, TEEEL, Palm Lakes and Glitterwolf. Sofa King Vinyl’s previous releases include Opus Science Collective, The Motion Epic and Australia’s much loved synth duo Client Liaison.

Separate masters specially for digital, vinyl and cassette were cut by Adam Boose at Cauliflower Audio Mastering. Boose specializes in optimal mastering for vinyl and works closely with Sofa King Vinyl on all its vinyl releases. Cassettes will be duplicated in real-time from 24bit masters.

Diamond Field – released Friday, July 30th, 2021, on digital and

streaming platforms.

Pre-orders for vinyl and cassette editions available on the same day through Sofa King Vinyl.

Visit www.diamondfieldmusic.com for more info.

BUNNY X

New York City-based Italo Disco, synthwave and retrowave dynamic duo BUNNY X is Abigail Gordon and Mary Hanley. Seasoned players in New York City’s underground music scene, this duo has created a name for their fun, not-so-serious yet seductive musical charisma. Catching all-original acts like them at Brooklyn and Downtown music halls is what defines and brings life to the city’s nightlife. Bunny X’s brilliance is in their charming, sassy and nonchalant lyricism, catchy hooks, and fashionable retro and noir twinning outfits that enhance their synchronized stage performances. However, despite of all the fun and sass, Abigail and Mary exude sophistication, up-beat class and can evoke the deepest emotions through music. Since signing with premiere retrowave label AZTEC Records, Bunny X has released three emotive, poignant, and thought-provoking collaborative singles that deliver the usual fun, yet also all the feels - and sometimes, even tears. It is a pleasure to see artists hone in the right words and expressions for their lyrics to convey true feelings, and Bunny X does it with gusto with catchy hooks without losing depth.

NYC Sunrise is a collaboration with Marvel83’ released in the midst of the pandemic. This beautiful track rekindles memories of New York City nightlife consisted of staying out all night, “dancing in the fading light,” welcoming the dawn, and chasing time that’s moving fast. Glistening arpeggio baselines, brassy synth chords help carry the duo’s honey-coated vocals that bring 80s iconic trio Wilson Philips to mind. Perfectly nostalgic during the most unsettling times, those who’ve been living in isolation would definitely appreciate this as an anthem to carry them through and also to welcome back all nights full of life and fun once they return.

Can’t Wait is a collaboration with Sellorekt / LA Dreams. A powerful track circling around empowerment that talks about rewards of patience, and though often we “Can’t Wait,’ we need to remain strong for what’s ahead to get to the finish line. The track is wonderfully minimal, low-key with unaffected back beats, yet still very synthy with splashes of glittering topline arp, saw edges and heraldic brassy horns giving the track bursts of color throughout. Mary and Abigail’s retro-inflected and heartfelt vocal performances usher the listeners with sisterly affection and encouragement that one can’t help but nod, agree, and say “Yes, I can do this,” with firm resolve.

Bunny X’s most recent release, Perfect Paradise, is a collaboration with Don Dellpiero. A smooth-sailing, colorful and vibrant number with touches of French House, Perfect Paradise harkens palm tree-lined tropical beaches, neon sunsets over seafoam blue waters, and even some flamingos and other birds of paradise frolicking about. Along with the catchy chorus and cadences, the track features some fantastic rhythmic guitars over funky bass notes and giant synth chords. Shimmering arps enter the scenic soundscape like fireflies dancing about, giving some light, fire and glimmer to complete this colorful vision. A perfect summer track to welcome the reopening and rebound, Perfect Paradise is a playlist staple for summer parties of both retro and the modern kinds.

With these three dynamic releases, we look forward to seeing more of what Bunny X will be bringing us in the near future, which is looking bright and hopeful all around at dawn of a new era, especially with both Abigail and Mary around. New York City music carries two fine gems in these ladies, and both have grown into fabulous scene icons of their own right. It’s no fun if Bunny X ain’t around.

For more Bunny X, visit https://bunnyx.bandcamp.com

MEGAN MCDUFFEE - Inner Demons

Written by KIZUNAUT

What do you get when you combine an award-winning videogame soundtrack composer, a singer who has collaborated with over 40 artists and a skilled retrowave producer? The answer is Megan McDuffee, a name that has become quite familiar within the synthwave scene and beyond it. Within the synthwave scene she has been an ubiquitous collaborator, lending her talents as a singer to a great many producer, perhaps most notably Scandroid and Mitch Murder. Outside of the synthwave scene she has been establishing herself as a soundtrack composer, making music for the games River City Girls, Plunge, Hostile Takeover and Mimic: Arena and the film The Yellow Wallpaper.

In some ways Megan McDuffee has been a woman of two worlds, making mostly instrumental and soundtrack work under her own name while singing as a featuring artist for others. Inner Demons sees her producing a full-length pop album under her own name for the first time. Drawing influences from Depeche Mode, Massive Attack, IAMX and ‘80s film soundtracks, the moody electro pop found within the album that is in equal measures modern and retro, opening yet another new sonic frontier for the already diverse artist.

Megan describes the album as ”the culmination of my inner monologues, struggles, desires, and musical soul. This is truly my album, I did absolutely everything in the creation of this release,” and the album feels very personal. This feeling is furthered by the simple, but effective, artwork which features the artist herself lying down against a dark background. This is truly her presenting herself to the world.

As one could perhaps surmise from the album title, the subject matter of the album leans on the darker side of life. The lyrics found within the album deal with various personal themes including desire, jealousy, regret, letting go of the past and a kind of dark, dependent romance. The tone of it all is melancholic, but not depressive. It feels like Megan is seeking to find some kind of closure through this album. I find anchoring the album in personal experience gives it a wonderful air of sincerity and reality, and I welcome the synth scene shifting towards more grounded subject matters.

The production choices of the album play very well with the themes and overall tone of the album. The sound choices and mixing are smooth, subtle, bassy and clean with a certain dreamlike quality to it all. The production at times strongly recalls Massive Attack, and those who have been wishing for some kind of trip-hop revival have had their prayers answered. Megan's voice serves as the lead instrument, and is clearly at the forefront of the mix, and her style and delivery fits the overall mood very well. The overall choice of sounds, mixing and mastering of the album are exquisite. There is not a single instance of instruments fighting for space or getting lost in the mix. Everything has enough space to really breathe. Even the most subtlest synth passes and percussive clicks are there to be heard. And there are a lot of subtle details and changes that the tracks build over time, rewarding the active listener.

This is not an album you put into earbuds while riding the subway. It needs to be listened to in a noise-free environment from good headphones or speakers to be fully appreciated. In an age that rewards music that can fight with the noise that permeates modern life, the subtle production is a bold choice that plays well with the themes found within the album and it's done masterfully. The mastering done by Pete Maher who has had a long career working with various artists including U2 and Nine Inch Nails serves as the wonderful finishing touch to it all.

The album opens with the gentle electric piano chords of 13th Hour. A rhythm somewhat reminiscent of 90s R'n'B then kicks in, with Megan's singing floating over it. Occasional arpeggios and airy, resonant synths swirl around the stereo image. The arpeggio unfurls and then the song moves into it's chorus which is colored by subtle synth hits and passes of almost flute-like synth. The track has a very dreamlike atmosphere, the association furthered by the ”I don't know if I am awake or dreaming” line of lyrics that comes up in the chorus. The song follows a kind of an extended pop formula, cycling through several verses and choruses, spaced by a very brief pause. Each repeat brings some kind of small repeat to the synth elements looming in the background, setting the structural formula for much of the album.

Under Your Knife is sheer trip-hop with it's ultra low bass, thumping kicks and clicky percussion. Subtle sweeps of synth brass and glitchy sound effects lurk in the background. The chorus has a bit more of a synthpop flavor, featuring an arpeggiated, deep bassline and a bit prominent splashes of synth brass. The track also features Michael Garret Steele as a guest vocalist, turning it into a kind of a dark duet about being under the influence of another. The track drips with possessive, gothic romance.

Possession (Your Love) opens with a mix of atmospheric synths and bass arps that could serve as the opening to a more typical retrowave-oriented song. Instead, it follows the more dreamy, downtempo quality the previous songs have demonstrated. The verses feature a slow, stripped-down four-to-the-floor beat, arpeggiated synth bass and rolling, sharp synths which give the track an almost industrial-like quality. The dreamy choruses are pure synthpop, with passes of high-pitched twinkly synths and bending string-like synths giving it extra color.

A heavily filtered bouncy bassline and deep kicks open Wicked Thing. Occasional passes of echoing guitars dance over the beat with Megan's singing. Snare drums and hihats come in and the song comes alive for it's driving chorus, before returning to it's much subtler verse. The mix of the danceable beat and the atmospheric guitars makes this perhaps the most openly Depeche Mode-influenced song on the album. One of my personal favorites from the album.

Jealousy begins bass synths squirming around the stereo field before coming together the form the backbone for a beat that's a bit heavier than on the previous songs. Soaring lead guitars meet Megan's vocals. The choruses feature cool high-pitched synths lurking at the extreme ends of the stereo field. The song is a bit more energetic, a bit less athmospheric than what has been offered so far. It's also a bit of a thematic shift, as the previous songs had dealt with certain kind of dark romanticism. The subject matter here is dealing with jealousness of other's success, people's fixation with surface level appearances and commercialism. ”No talent to match the kind of money they spend”, ”no-one really thinks who is behind the scenes, it all comes down to marketing”, ”all for the show, it's always about who you know” and ”constant hustling but no-one gives a damn” are among the lyrics. The absolute highlight of the album for me for its energy and frank way of addressing feelings that a lot of musicians have.

Opening with a thumping bass arpeggio and sweeps of airy synth brass, You're Not Alone is perhaps the most retrowave song in the album, having a very synthpop style and the most 1980s inspired sounds. The lyrics deal with pursuing dreams, letting go of things, being ignored despite your best efforts and how sharing your heart with the world leaves you vulnerable. But in the end, there are other people in similar circumstances out there. A kind of tender melancholy permeates the very airy song.

Regrets starts with deep bass hits and airy, resonant synth hits. It offers an interesting interlude, having no lyrics, with Megan singing abstract, melancholic lines over a foreboding beat. A rather sinister sounding interlude splits the track in two, the first half featuring occasional splashes of electric piano arps, the second half featuring a larger variety of synths along Megan's singing. The track oozes with a wonderful dark, mysterious mood and shows Megan's skill at composing melodies. Another personal favorite.

Everything and Nothing is a purely instrumental piece. It begins with a bubbling synth arp that is then joined by weepy synth lines and electric piano chords. Gentle strings sweep in before the track fades out to a part with the electric piano playing lead role. The weepy synths come back in and the track starts adding more and more elements. The electric piano melody changes up, an arpeggiated bassline breaks through the surface and a sharp synth arpeggio joins the dance. The track then strips itself to just the electric piano, a very soft arp and a low bassline before ending.

Offering a return to the vocal pop formula, Control opens with a slow backbeat and pulsing, low basslines. Various synths, passes of electric piano and occasional splashes of bright, twinkly guitars color the melancholic song. The chorus is a bit brighter than the rest of the track and features the guitar more prominently, where it plays in cool interlacing patterns with the synths. The lyrics deal with being judged on social media. ”Don't let them control you from the outside, only you can see the truth from the inside”, Megan reminds us in the chorus. A message sorely needed for these times.

The album ends with Moving On, a trip-hop influenced piece. It features a slow, bassy beat with heavily reverbed guitars swirling around. A higher-pitched, sparse guitar line twinkles over the beat. The track slowly builds more elements on itself, adding clicky, bright synths to the chorus, more prominent guitars, and a string passage. The track is overall somewhat more lusher sounding than the previous ones, and mixed with the slowly building up structure it feels like walking towards the light after being in a dark tunnel. The lyrics of the song are about dealing with pressures and insecurities, and reinforce the impression, ending the album on a cautiously optimistic note. ”Moving on, won't be long till I find my stride, don't wanna waste this life” A well-composed closer and a great way to end the album.

Overall, the album is very well composed and produced, with the aesthetic choices supporting the chosen themes very well. I also found it one that grew better with time as I started picking out the subtler details and lyrics more and more. As for points of critique, I feel like the album could have perhaps benefited from a bit different track order. As of now, the album kind of clusters together several sonically and thematically similar tracks. Perhaps this is an intentional way of building a kind of subtle narrative, but switching a couple of tracks around could have perhaps improved the structure of the album. I also found myself wishing that some of the synths looming in the background could have been just ever so slightly more forward in the mix.

Beyond the high merits of composition and production, I found the lyrical themes of especially the latter half to be extremely relevant. The feelings of frustration of others getting ahead of you and the paradoxical sense of being simultaneously ignored and judged on social media and feeling burned out with grinding and hustling are probably far more pervasive in the indie music scene. It takes real courage to bring those feelings out and deal with them in as mature way as Megan has done here. The suffering artist, the ”it's called painting because it requires pain” mentality may be to some extent harmful myths, but there is real value in using music to handle negative emotions, those inner demons.

The album is well-worth a listen for everyone who is interested in darker strands of pop music or trip-hop, but also worth a listen if you are a musician struggling with feelings of irrelevancy, invisibility or frustration. After repeated listens I started to find the album rather cathartic. I can't really remember any other album that would have been perhaps as thematically relevant for indie musicians as this one. Megan McDuffee indeed isn't alone with these inner demons and with this album she has proven herself not only as an accomplished composer, producer and singer, but also as someone willing to tackle difficult matters. I eagerly await her future ventures.

Keep updated with Megan McDuffee’s work: https://meganmcduffee.bandcamp.com

DIMI KAYE - Soulkiller

Written by C Z A R I N A with Excerpts from Dimi Kaye’s Press Release

"Welcome, fool. You have come of your own free will to the appointed place. The game is over.

Only fools enter Nightmare City, a virtual hub in the depths of the Net to discover the most precious commodity of our bleak future: Information.

Explore, you never know what you'll find behind dark alleys but be careful. As in real life, this is a world made by others, with their rules and biases. Their viruses may hunt you down like rabid dogs, the data fortresses you're building might crash on you in an instant, you might lose more than what you bargained for when you deal with the devil in the machine.

If your crime is that of curiosity though, by all means, enter. After all, "fool" is another word for the ‘hero’.”

-Soulkiller

Dark synth and cyberpunk are often drawn from the machine-like atmospheric and cinematic sound designs in post-apocalyptic, tech noir films and video games about machines taking over society and enslaving humanity. The genres easily offer themselves to conceptual narratives done in sound as we have seen in several bodies of dark synth projects - one recently in Franz by Elay Arson, a record about a monstrous Frankenstein-esque machine that had gone rogue at the Tesla plant. Now, Greece-based synth and guitar hero Dimi Kaye unveils his cyberpunk and dark synth concept record, Soulkiller. The concept of the record was inspired by the short essay The Conscience of a Hacker, which Dimi first heard being recited in the movie Hackers. The title tracks were also inspired by the CD Project video game Cyberpunk 2077. Each of the 6 tracks blend mid tempo drums, dark basslines, sometimes dissonant rhythm guitars and a touch of slightly odd time rhythms.

Originally written as an exercise for Dimi’s YouTube channel, the tracks in Soulkiller were conceptualized while the hype for Cyberpunk 2077 was still at its peak. Out of his own reverie for dark and retro futuristic art, Dimi took inspiration for the track titles from the video game: Dark Alley, Nightmare City, R.A.B.B.I.D.S., DataKrash, The Fool, Soulkiller. But it was the movie Hackers that helped him tie the tracks together into a fully-fleshed out record, building the story around the “Hacker Manifesto,” which he read after rewatching the film.

Soulkiller opens with Dark Alley, a very pensive mid-tempo, arpeggiated slow-burn intro track with dark monk-like drone vocals in the backdrop while catchy and melodic sine bells playfully entrance and hover over. The breakdown with the chime bell sequence over the bass attack between the beautifully crafted sonic snare and kick actually invokes a bit of the legendary Nobuo Uematsu’s work in Final Fantasy VII RPG game - the same unsettling, pensive treatment in the game’s underground and Shinra Corporation scenes.

Nightmare City enters and this track and the following track give hint at Dimi’s irrefutable reputation as a master composer of his own right. Nightmare City starts off laid back with a mid-tempo back beat, then builds with distorted rhythm guitars with beautifully dispersed staccato synths before the breakdown. It opens into a very emotional guitar lead that only Dimi knows how to emotively perform into a lamentful swan song and it continues on its subdued nature, setting the stage for the next track. If one listens in closely this track actually carries a very symphonic and orchestral writing, which is something normally seen in metal - which doesn’t come as a surprise with Dimi’s metal background.

The tempo picks up with R.A.B.B.I.D.S. which invokes the classic video game boss battle vibes. Over the monk-like drone pads and hyper rhythm section, the track pushes through, guided with Dimi’s downright badass speedy rhythm guitars. It gives brief breaks into double metal kicks and then elevates into Dimi’s epic and sublime signature guitar shreds that every metal lover could really sink their teeth into.

The video game vibes continue on in DataKrash. Slower in tempo, the track dredges listeners into dark ominous terrains, ushered by Dimi’s fantastic speedy rhythmic guitars. Crystalline and shimmery arpeggiated toplines hover in and out of the track in support of the overall moodier, subdued bass undercurrents, leading into a menacing odd-metered drum, bass and synth hook resolve.

The Fool enters with a sampled quote by the late great Sir Christopher Lee as Lord Summerisle on the movie The Wickerman (1973), another one of Dimi’s all time favourite films. Brassy synths exalt over the foreboding bass arp, harkening Dimi’s fellow esteemed Greek, the legendary Vangelis’ early works, sprinkled with tantric arpeggiated synth leads. Similar to Dark Alley, The Fool starts pensive and brooding right before breaking into another one of Sir Christopher Lee’s sampled quote. Then the track escalates into up-tempo rhythm and dynamics with some jazzy arpeggiated synth leads that immediately grow into earworms.

Dimi definitely saved his very best for last in the album’s title track, Soulkiller. The track savoringly features all of Dimi’s guitar prowess that earned him his title as master guitarist. Dimi savagely slays through in multi-toned, dynamic lead riffs. The track is tastefully pared down in arrangements with the steady back-beats and sustained long bass notes. But it paves way and milks Dimi’s speedy guitar heroics which delightfully move into polyrhythmic odd meters at times. It truly is a great marvel to see someone make their guitar sing like a majestic Valkyrie in opera, and Dimi definitely delivers in this one.

From start to finish, Soulkiller remains confidently strong, unbothered, unhurried, and supremely solid. It is distinctively relaxed and focuses more on the sonic terrains that invoke the video game treatments this record was inspired by. The most thrilling aspect is that it tastefully showcases Dimi’s guitar and synth mastery in nonchalance without being ostentatious, exemplifying a very centered and grounded approach between emotional delivery and musical bravado that focuses on the experience - a mark of ascended mastery.

Also, for those who are fans of the game and the Netflix series, make sure to check out Dimi Kaye’s fantastic synthwave cover of Toss A Coin To Your Witcher.

Soulkiller is now available on Bandcamp.
Follow Dimi Kaye here.