Synth Single Review: “The Child” by Thomas Barrandon

by Karl Magi

Thomas Barrandon’s “The Child” has a minimalist beginning with sparse drums slowly tapping before washing sounds carry a motif which embodies affection, gentle care and growth. The melody is delicate, underpinned by hypnotically pulsing notes drifting above a speeding synth pattern, as stuttering drums riffle over thick bass.

Rising with nobility, a glimmering melody touches me with a hopeful aura, balanced with snapping beats and a robotic voice repeating, “love, fear, hate , learn, doubt, fail, walk, run, fall, laugh, feel, cry." Invoking a sense of floating potential, the main theme shines like the evening star, cut by slicing drum beats and a spinning sonic filigree.

As the enigmatic melodic pattern grips me, I‘m flooded by the mingled emotions surrounding our growth as children into adults. A ringing melody, like starshine, transmits love and uncertainty in equal measure above the broken beats. A uniform radiance spills like the faint rays of early morning sun across the piece before it concludes.

Synth Single Review: "Owner of a Lonely Heart - Synthwave Remix" by Nightboat

by Karl Magi

Nightboat’s remix of Yes' "Owner of a Lonely Heart" breathes into existence with a hint of static hiss and a flourish of big '80s drums slowly growing into a beat below a guitar bathed in dazzling hues.

An overwhelming synthwave drive supports Jon Anderson’s striking vocal performance, digital-sounding notes tripping with ragged edges before the growling guitar slices as Jon Anderson’s vocals echo above the crushing underlayer.

The chugging muscle of the retrowave drums and giant bass gives shattering strength to the original music. Circling arpeggios contribute a soft gleam before the raging guitar line rips hard above the hard-hitting low end pulsation.

Unstoppable synthwave power balances the original vocals with shadowy portent in a way I find deeply ear-pleasing. Snapping snare drums kick with the pounding foundation, leaping forward onto the open road as the original vocals climb passionately and the kick drum joins irradiating synth before the song stops.

Our narrator points out that each choice we make and every action we take shapes who we are. Instead of letting the pain of the past stop us from moving on, we ought to chase what we desire. He tells us that loneliness isn't permanent but it is a state of mind in which we can gain self-knowledge and independence.

Synth Single Review: “Sprite Collision” by Sonic Gap

by Karl Magi

Sonic Gap’s “Sprite Collision” bubbles with Commodore 64 sounds wiggling out above a heavy base throb, a kick drum adding shape while the computerized sounds wobble and raised tones cast a radiant glow. The C64 sound carries a mysterious theme, full of alien portent, while the crisp drums snap into a powerful heartbeat.

The melody traces like a digital ghost, conjuring up images of an 8-bit world for me, a place of beautiful strangeness. The iconic C64 sonic signature contributes an unmistakable edge that draws me fully into Sonic Gap’s musical language.

A plethora of fascinating electronic noises trips and breaks before the melody echoes with technologically sharp edges, joined by the hard-hitting underpinnings as the sense of enigmatic energy comes back into the C64 melodic line. A hint of something majestic mingles with the otherworldly tones, calling to mind a computerized universe before the track closes.

Synth Single Review: “In Your Room” by The Lightning Kids & SelloRekt / LA Dreams

by Karl Magi

The Lightning Kids & SelloRekt / LA Dreams’ “In Your Room” starts with a static crackle before a speeding drum beat comes in and Emma Ballantine’s voice, like a dream from the past, climbs with airy ease and captures the melancholy sense within the lyrics. A chiming synth glows like a city skyline and the chorus rises with vibrant strength while a guitar flickers with uplifting sensations.

Love and thwarted passion combine in the vocals, affecting me with their mingled emotional complexity. The percussion interlocks with the guitar to create flowing motion, supporting the luscious performance from Emma Ballantine. Chord changes glisten like twilight growing on the edge of the sunset. Nostalgia and remembrance intertwine in the vocals before a guitar solo captures a thrilling emotional tenor along with a hint of sadness before the song closes out.

The main character sits in the song subject’s bedroom, glancing at the posters on their wall and thinking, "this isn't why you brought me here, this isn't what I came to see." She finds herself breaking up and falling down, adding, "I'm lost in time, I'm shaking now." It feels good when the other person says her name.

"All your secrets that you tell me and all those dreams you let me see" show our storyteller everything that the song's subject is as they play their old guitar, sitting next to her. The lights are turned down low as the other person plays their records, moving slowly. They dance in the dark and she says, "this isn't why I'm here with you, it's tearing me apart."