Enzo Van Baelen
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One To One With Mitch Murder: Talking Nostalgia, ‘Businesswave’ & the Enduring Appeal of the 80s
In the history of Synthwave music, few names resonate like ‘Mitch Murder’; an artist whose captivating blend of nostalgic melodies and infectious grooves helped to shape the genre in its early days. Enzo caught up with the artist recently to talk about his future plans, creative inspirations, and his recent MPF release – Salary Man…
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Boom, it’s a fucking smash: Review of ‘Rose Room’ – from Donor Lens (released on My Pet Flamingo)
‘Rose Room’ showcases a club-heavier sound in the Donor Lens catalogue, giving us a satisfying long player that contextualises the recent slew of killer singles Cardiff’s finest (strictly speaking one half lives in London), Donor Lens is back. Rose Room represents their first long player since 2021’s Error Area. And whilst three years can feel…
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One to one with US Golf 95:Talking [PlayStation] jungle & the future of Vaporwave
A year on from its release, US Golf 95’s [PlayStation] jungle.psx album gets the platinum reissue treatment. We caught up briefly with the Scottish producer in advance of its re-release, which sees 50 cassettes available with a fresh new design from Pacific Plaza Records. We talked about the VGM revival, translating the sound to the live…
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ECCO CHAMBER #02 – feat. Fury Weekend, Brothertiger, Droid Bishop, Mezzaluna & Discoholic
FutureSounds staff writers give their pick of the fortnight’s new & notable tracks… ***** Fury Weekend – ‘Soul Survivor (feat. Ollie Wride)‘ [Single] FIXT ‘Soul Survivor’ feels like a throwback and that’s no bad thing. I haven’t been caught like this by a Synthwave release for some time, and perhaps that’s why. I often miss…
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ECCO CHAMBER #01 – feat. Entrana, Mick Rudry, Galaxy 80, Ogre & The Toxic Avenger
FutureSounds staff writers give their pick of the fortnight’s new & notable tracks… ***** Entrana – ‘WASHED UP’ [SEA D ROM] Business Casual The opening track from Entrana’s album, ‘SEA D ROM’, ‘WASHED UP’ is a vapor journey that soothes. Released via Business Casual, the album contains a variety of musical approaches harking back to…
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The Story of ‘That’s Not Vaporwave’
Arguments about the definition of Vaporwave show the scene is “active and alive” – Thom Hosken explores the limitations of genres and the role of the gatekeeper. Late this Summer, there was an explosion in social media Discourse™ that coincided with the ElectroniCON 3/Groove Continental events, the production of the Nobody Here documentary film, the…
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FutureSounds live events are back this November, with ‘Double Vision’!
FutureSounds returns, with the UK live debut of Dutch Vaporwave legend, Catsystemcorp. The second show takes place at Folklore in Hackney (London), and follows a successful opener back in March, which saw ‘A New Dimension’ sell out a packed Post Bar in Tottenham. The FutureSounds team seeks to bridge the gap between the Vaporwave and…
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Beckett – Caller on the Line [Self-Released]
Beckett’s funk remains in his soul, as 8th album ‘Caller On the Line’ draws on 80s/90s late night radio for inspiration Jon Beckett is one of retrowave’s grafters – an incredibly skilled multi-instrumentalist; he digs deep to weave authenticity into his concept albums and EPs, be that city pop, retro-funk, New Jack Swing; even (more…
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The Numbers Game… Or, how I learned to hate the algorithm!
Joe Ward casts aside his “self-inflicted” obsession with ‘monthly plays’ and discovers something exciting and new. I don’t do it as much as I used to, but every now and then I’ll set aside some time to trawl through the vast catalogue of Spotify, for fear of missing out on something delicious. It’s only recently…
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‘Did I listen to pop music because I was miserable? Or was I miserable because I listened to pop music?’ – High Fidelity at 21
Patrick Fakeman takes us through Top 5 musical and life reflections from the 2000 hit movie, High Fidelity. I was out last weekend taking a long drive. Peter Frampton was being interviewed and after the chat came the inevitable… The DJ played the timeless live version of ‘Baby I Love Your Way’ from Frampton’s 1976…
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Death’s Dynamic Shroud – Neon Memories [Darklife, 100% Electronica]
Darklife represents something of a shift for DDS, who’ve been releasing material (sometimes as individuals, often in pairs, only once before as a trio) since 2014. Whilst never self-identifying with as Vaporwave per se, their rise to prominence came with the patronage of the scene and their recent show-stopping set at Electronicon 3 proved that…
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Kid Neon’s sophomore album has arrived, and it’s gone “Straight to Video”
This follow-up to his 2017 debut, Darker Days, has been percolating for a few years but the return is nothing less than a triumph. Straight to Video features the familiar arpeggiated flourishes and Outrun stylings for which Kid Neon is known, whilst introducing a wider musical palette of new musical ideas, some of which lean…