Synth Single Review: “The World Is You” by The Blue Book Project & Nicolas Rixon

by Karl Magi

The Blue Book Project & Nicolas Rixon’s “The World Is You” conveys powerful desire and consuming passion. The song opens as active, varied percussion moves with a sweep and a tangled, ringing synth is joined by a brass section that erupts with jazzy liveliness above the catchy drum beat. The melody is groovy as a steadily pulsing sound in the distance vibrates with zingy dynamism.

Nicolas Rixon’s voice is like caramel, warm and flowing, capturing ardent emotion while the underpinnings drive forward. Harpsichord-like notes tremble along with his sensual performance, capturing all of the desire and fervour spilling out of the words.

The rhythm continues to jam forward as the steady pulse vibrates. The brass section burns with intensity while the vocals spill out with desire and zeal. The horn line is catchy as it blares with positive strength and Nicolas Rixon captures me with his performance while metallic notes glimmer with soft brightness and the rhythm pulses.

The chorus floats out with fiery joy while vibrating tones create urgency above the locked-in rhythm section. Nicolas Rixon’s vocals are full of honey-sweet warmth and trumpeting tones erupt with sunlight before the song ends with joy and need mingling.

Walking down the city streets, our storyteller sees people as shadows. He shuts his eyes and takes a look around, glancing into his heart. He says, “I can’t tell what’s going over me since I saw you last night dancing. Now I know my life came to the point that the world is you.”

On the city streets, “the racing cars seem so still.” As he shuts his eyes and empties his mind, he says he will take her home in his heart. He asks if his feelings are getting through to the song’s subject and if she can hear his message. He adds, “I can feel and breathe it in the air that the world is you.”

In Barcelona, he imagines himself having a fight at the bullring and singing in New York City for the song’s subject. In Paris, he says that he loves the Moulin Rouge, while in London Big Ben marks the passing of time. He continues, “The world is you and you are my world, girl.”

When the song’s subject is crying, she calls on him and, even if “the timing is not so right,” he promises that he will not turn his back on her, though the moment is hard.

To conclude, he says, “People dancing on the other side of a rainbow-coloured disco. I’m alone with you and to my eyes the world is you.”

Synth Single Review: “OVERPRESSURE” by Bending Grid

by Karl Magi

Bending Grid’s “OVERPRESSURE” bursts with menacing strength and huge energy. The track begins as a shadowy sound moves with high notes that twist uncomfortably and the bass rumbles with sinister weight. The percussion begins to move with growing rage as lower tones descend and a steady drone shifts.

The rhythm is fierce and towering, full of shattering strength as it hammers below the diabolically writhing notes that move above it. The feeling of oppressive weight is undeniable as drums continue to pulsate and a distorted voice repeats, “overpressure.”

As the melody rises and exudes luminosity, the underlayer thumps with dangerous strength. I am drawn to the way in which the drums stomp with insistent potency, creating a feeling of terrifying darkness waiting below the surface. Seething notes cry out as quickly bounding sounds wriggle in the distance. The main melody moves on explosive notes that spill out with tension and blinding light. Once again, the tyrannical drum beat smashes and the track comes to a close.

Synth Single Review: “The Long Way Out” by Arkavoid

by Karl Magi

Arkavoid’s “The Long Way Out” is a paean to youthful wonder and bittersweet memory. The track begins as a drifting voiceover mingles with coiling, computerized notes before a scintillating synth moves above the undulating weight below. The melody is adventurous and full of youthful possibility while it dances above the reverberant rhythm, the powerful drums rebounding.

Distant notes flow with softly shifting movement while trumpeting tones rise with a mixture of pride and warm remembrance. Crystalline bells add sparkle while the foundation pulsates and the guitar strums with shining tones.

As shimmering notes spill, arpeggios move on digital-sounding bells, circling in hypnotic motion. A medium-high synth carries a melody that repeats with smooth power, ringing out with anticipation while the underpinnings drive onward.

The lead synth moves with an exciting and positive melody that captures me with its energetic sense of hope as the bass oscillates and the main melody glimmers with irrepressible luminosity. The beat is even and gigantic while raised tones exude brilliance and the low end rushes forward.

The chimes move like prismatic refractions while the guitar entangles with uplifting liveliness and radiant tones spill like fresh sunlight. Broad notes burst with fiery brightness before the track comes to an end on a descending note pattern that flows with optimistic light before computerized notes fade away.

Synth Single Review: “Speed Bump” by Eddie Wrevlonne

by Karl Magi

Eddie Wrevlonne’s “Speed Bump” looks back on a relationship both painful and worthy of remembrance. The song begins as chimes ring with wistful light before Eddie Wrevlonne’s voice moves like espresso tinged with dark chocolate while the melody brims with hurt. Drums rebound as the shadowy vocals grab me with their fractured emotions.

Unctuous arpeggios radiate muted light as Eddie Wrevlonne expresses damaged affection while the rhythm rebounds. Sweetness mingles with the pain in the lyrics, touching and full of reflection, while computerized tones drift past the rich flow of Eddie Wrevlonne’s low voice.

The vocals move with a bereft sensation while steadily pulsing notes hesitantly touch the music. The chiming melody is full of aching remorse, capturing the lyrics with expressive depth. Wistful notes wander and create painful reminiscence while the lower tones float with feathery fragility before silence falls.

“Remember all those times I would take you for a drive, your feet on the dashboard in those little socks you wore?” As the narrator asks this question, he recalls a time when they were driving around, bored and he hit a speed bump in the road. The song’s subject “laughed and called me dumb and you called me your speed bump.”

Our storyteller concludes that he should not be surprised because “when I looked into your eyes, I saw violent design.” He felt that the universe had shown him a sign, but “when I felt your hand in mine, we were innocent divine.” He asks the song’s subject to remember the fights they had, staying up half the night while he would “shiver and I’d shake on that bed you would not make.”

When they were out at their usual bar, the song’s subject told the narrator that he always goes too far and “you cried and called me dumb and called me your speed bump.”