3 Feb 2017

Lazerhawk: "Dreamrider"


An originator who hasn't lost track of his ultimate goal in the face of genre hype
It's been relatively silent from camp Lazerhawk for some time now, and out of nowhere drops the new album Dreamrider like a meteor from interstellar space. From the earlier efforts' affinity for hard-hitting 80s nostalgia over Skull and Shark's soundtrackesque street cyberpunk turned rough-around-the-edges comic, Dreamrider - as the name would suggest - is a dreaming, lofty affair more reliant on vibrant soundscapes and softly head-boppin' synth-pop tunes than the neon-draped silhouettes with the subtlety of a jackhammer that coloured previous material.

"...a mercury liquid of soft-spoken melodies cured in the thick 80's substance..."

Soft to the touch, play- and gleeful, Dreamrider is chilling and sombre, but never lethargic. Apart from a few individual compositions, the album is primarily not quite so percussive, but rather a mercury liquid of soft-spoken melodies cured in the thick 80's substance that makes synthwave such a stand-out scene. As Lazerhawk turns down the dial slightly on the neon and rolling bass thumping, his music achieves a much wider appeal.

He has never been one to shy away from a clear-cut concept, and the Lazerhawk mythos follows the sound-related ethos of the new album in this way, with songs and concepts like Somnus, Hypnic, Cool Breeze, REM, Dream Within A Dream, Dreams In The Dusk and other appropriate titles. Compared to previous albums, Dreamrider may not hit home with fans of his high grade cyber synth sound, but the latest album is - perhaps - an album with a more long lasting potential in its more approachable format. Early in 2017, Lazerhawk has commited a strong contender and bar-setter for synthwave during the coming months. Here's one for the ages, and an album that definitely will not put you to sleep in spite of its concept.

8/10


Released in 2017 by Rosso Corsa Records

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