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Escape into the retro-futurism of tad valente’s synthwave world, take it away

Posted on 12 December 2022
escape room by tad valente

Torrance, California-hailing independent songwriter and producer tad valente, took his listeners on a retro-futuristic sonic trip with his latest escapism-aiding release, take it away.

The playfully ambient melodies chime with purpose as they lead you through the experimental synth wave progressions, which fuse video game-esque aesthetics with an innovative twist on pop. The symphonic synths amalgamated with the chiptune textures and glitchy trip-hop motifs create an affably-sweet atmosphere that is impossibly easy to melt into and vibe with.

Clearly, valente is no stranger to taking control of his listener’s rhythmic pulses to lull them into a state of arrested appreciation of his intrinsically unique sonic signature.

take it away was officially released on December 2nd; stream & purchase it on Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Reactive Armor delivered dark and dirty big-beat-trip-hop from the European underground with their seminal track, ModelA

Posted on 3 March 2022

If you take your electronica harsh, dirty and cinematic, Reactive Armor’s big beat soundscore, ModelA has all the makings of a playlist staple. The European underground electronica outfit consists of the classically trained synth player, drummer, and mixer, Tamas Valkar, and Andras Czimmermann on sax, woodwind and EWI. Together, they orchestrate blockbuster-worthy mechanical trip-hop that isn’t short of panoramic or visceral feeling.

It’s only a matter of time before Reactive Armor loses their underground status or breaks into the film score industry. Their dystopic sound isn’t just massive; it’s devilishly clever and easily on the same level as the artists on the Sucker Punch OST.

The official video for ModelA’s seminal track is available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast