Bringing a blistering Powerwave sound to the NEON stage, Megatronix is a Maryland-based duo consisting of Power Rob and Robbie Whiplash who will satisfy your lust for guitar-driven #Synthwave at #neonretrofest2023 in April!

Their first album, aptly titled Powerwave, exploded onto the scene in late 2019 to critical acclaim. Blending retro sci-fi aesthetics, expertly arranged synths, epic vocals, and slashing metal chords, @MegatronixMusic's power rock style is everything you want in a live show.

In 2021 they dropped the Limitbreaker EP, complete with a rad cover of the Rocky IV classic "No Easy Way Out" that has been spinning in our daily rotation as we scale the mountain that is planning a festival of this magnitude! Check them out NOW at: https://megatronix.bandcamp.com/music

Florida producer MAX OVERDRIVE 1986 is in the spotlight as he joins the growing NEON Retrofest Lineup

Great Outrun is hard to find these days, but Max Overdrive 1986 knows how to push the redline with brutal synthwave hooks that will get you on your feet!

Blending fearsome, pavement-tearing Outrun-style beats with cyberpunk-inspired samples that evoke the genre's earliest Darksynth vibes, Max Overdrive 1986 is part Miami Beach sunset cruise and part neon-noir dystopian skyline. Is this the sound of Florida Synthwave? We say: Yes.

Catch Max Overdrive 1986 in April as we take over #Tampa with the largest retro convocation in the universe. Until then, give his music a listen here: https://maxoverdrive1986.bandcamp.com/

It's time to put the pedal down. Synthwave's hottest rising star Power Rob from Aztec Records is now part of the NEON Retrofest lineup, bringing some of the best vocals in the genre to the NEON stage in April. We can't wait for this! Typically performing as part of the Megatronix duo, Power Rob's solo project seamlessly fuses addictive #80s #synth anthems that would not be out of place in 1987. His out-of-this-world vocals send us back in time to when electronic rock ruled the airwaves.

Power Rob's first EP, Runaway, hit in 2020 to critical acclaim, proving that he is paving the way for a new era of vocal-driven synthwave. We agree and know that you will too when you catch him at NEON Retrofest this year. Listen here: https://powerrob.bandcamp.com/

We’re kicking off a week of NEON Artist Spotlights! Today we're pumped to announce that Orlando-based synth powerhouse ACP Pro (http://acppro.net) is in the lineup. Combining an assault of synthwave on the darker side with 80s cold war aesthetics, you don't want to miss this act!

Vlad has begun a new solo chapter of the ACP Pro project with the recent release of Able Archer 83, a full album that bleeds Carpenter-inspired tension that injects a much needed fresh take into the horror synth side of the genre with vicious beats and razor-sharp arps.

We can't wait to see what ACP Pro brings to the stage at NEON 2023! If you want to hear more of what you're in for, check out https://acppro.bandcamp.com 🎹😎

We're thrilled to announce that Starfarer has joined the NEON Retrofest lineup! Since 2017, Starfarer has brought an awesome sci-fi edge to the #synthwave scene, dropping his self-titled first album in 2018 to excellent reviews and multiple featured tracks on NewRetroWave. Miguel of Starfarer kicked off live shows in 2018, bringing an undeniably rad presence to the stage mixing his iconic futuristic persona with laser-sharpened synth assaults. Since then he has been busy, releasing a flurry of top shelf synth from the outer reaches of space.

Catch Starfarer in April along with some of the best live #synthwave in the universe at #neonretrofest, and check out his music at https://starfarer.bandcamp.com/ - we know you won't miss this!

 The duo of Eric Garwood (Iterations) & Jonathan Lim formed Velocity 128 in 2017 for their monthly synthwave performances at Betamax Video Club in Washington, DC. The music being released through Jade Anvil Collective (as well as remixes for other labels) are studio versions of their live production and improvisational performances. Influenced by new wave, italodisco, and postpunk along with shoegaze and electronica, Velocity 128 performs a cinematic style of synthwave influenced by the 80s and 90s using hardware and software with modern production techniques.

Check them out at https://jadeanvilcollective.bandcamp.com/merch

Our next spotlight is on Von Kaiser! Founded in 2018, the band's blend of David and Kaylin's vocals mixed with smooth synthwave arpeggios consistently brings us back to a time we wish existed, but may never have. You do not want to miss them at NEON Retrofest 2023.

Hitting the scene with the release of "Landline" in 2019, Von Kaiser shook up what we expected from vocal-driven synthwave. Lyrically exploring rain-slick cyberpunk dystopias to vistas of 80s nostalgia, it's clear that Von Kaiser knows what makes this genre so compelling.

Their 2020 album "Ghosts of Miami" sonically painted faded tropical sunsets during the time that NEON was relocating to Florida. Hits like "Wavelengths" put Von Kaiser on the map as a force in modern vocal synthwave, leading to two more full length releases; “Animals" in 2021, and the outstanding "The End is the Beginning" in November of this year, explore addictive 80s synthpop beats and top-tier layered vocals. Listen to their tunes at https://vonkaiser.bandcamp.com and see them live at NEON in April!

We're thrilled to announce our next featured musician: MARVEL83' - A Prague-based producer, Jan (Marvel83') draws influence from the iconic synth scores that defined #80s film and the early Synthwave scene itself, mastering the now elusive sound that gave rise to the genre.

His first album, Genesis, hit in 2019 and marked a return to the foundational Retrosynth sound pioneered by MPM Soundtracks and Noir Deco. The spirit of Miami Vice effortlessly pervades each note of his work, evoking night drives, speedboat chases, and neon-drenched danger.

Since then, Jan has remained busy, releasing three more full length albums including the extremely nostalgic "Arcade Dreams," while also collaborating with Back in the Future, Kiile, bunnyX, RoxiDrive and other notable producers. Listen at https://soundcloud.com/marvel83 🌴🎹🌃🕶

We think it's fitting to kick off our artist spotlights with NEON 2018 performer Let Em Riot. Defining the distinctive LA Dreamwave sound, Alan Oakes is nothing short of a pioneer in the genre and one of the first Synthwave artists we discovered a decade ago. His first full length album on the NewRetroWave label, The Futurist, evokes hazy California liminality in a way no one else has. The faded nostalgic vibes of his follow up release, Years Later, hit in 2020 with a heavier synthpop edge that was undeniably Let Em Riot.

In 2021 Alan surprised us with Jetty, an instrumental Chillwave EP that feels like home to us here on the Gulf Coast of Florida. It dips its toes into modern vaporwave genres with tropical synths and sun-kissed beats.  

Check out his music at https://letemriot.bandcamp.com/. Welcome back, Alan!

It's a day after Halloween, and I'm writing this while sitting in the 83 degree sunshine as the smell of salt on a humid afternoon sea breeze rolls in and tropical birds swoop overhead. I often ask myself, preceded with a record scratch, "How the hell did I end up here?" far away from the place where I had lived my entire life. The answer to that question is complex, but the most accurate statement would be that NEON brought me to the Sunshine State, and I simply made the decision to tag along.  

In the wake of having to cancel NEON 2020, slamming on the brakes that hard took its toll. As an event organizer for over 15 years, my life was upended, and the resulting stress led to a lot of dark, sleepless nights trying to figure out what to do next. At that time I had resolved that another NEON Retrofest could be a long shot at best and that I would have to find new ways to connect with others into this retro ephemera that we adore. For that reason, I started streaming on Twitch during the unseasonably cold spring of 2020, despite never expecting to become a streamer. For me it was a cathartic way to connect with others sharing similar interests even as my career as someone who created immersive, real world experiences fell apart. Night after night I'd go live and host tiny little virtual NEON Retrofests from the building where my rows of arcade games sat in the darkness, and in doing so I met a lot of awesome people who felt the same way about these cultural touchstones as I did. I've continued streaming every other night to this day, as I truly enjoy it now, but in truth it was something different that could never actually replace a real event.  

Amanda, the other half of NEON, had been planning a small vacation down to Florida in 2019 as kind of a wind up to the NEON 2020 planning season after her graduate program ended. We had originally thought about hitting some 80s/90s landmarks and documenting the trip, and I scouted out a number of places to check out. Of course I approached this task from the same "preservationist" standpoint that I've always used with a lot of retro stuff, whether it be Synthwave, arcade collecting, cult film, and the like. At this time, I still viewed everything from the 80s as precariously fragile–salvaged blips of culture from the days of paradise that only existed now in childhood memories, grainy VHS tapes, CRT pixels, and the warm sounds of vintage synths. All of it was in the past, loosely tied together by strands of fleeting nostalgia and whatever physical objects I could pull through time with me. 

We made the call to still take our trip in the late spring/early summer of 2020, however it had changed from a vacation to a personal escape from the weight of the impending cancellation of NEON 2020 in Rhode Island. What we didn't know at the time was that we were taking a trip to find out where the event truly wanted to be, and as we bounced around the state in cheap neon-clad, glass block-adorned beach motels, a realization crept over me that not only would change my life but would also result in the resurrection of NEON Retrofest as not just a cool event to host, but as something more. Florida unfolded to me with abundant Deco architecture, Memphis Group-inspired art and design, quirky small businesses, palm tree-lined beaches and causeways, and neon-colored sunsets, and it shattered the precious glass case I had previously placed over my nostalgia. Before that trip I had never been to Florida, and the fact that so much retro design still existed here–and had people who deeply appreciated it–blew my mind. It was all still here, still alive, still standing, still thriving. One Gulf Coast night, as I watched the sun slip below the sea in turquoise and magenta fire, I knew without a doubt that we had not only found a place for NEON, but also a place for us. As Kenny Loggins said, "This is it."

Two and a half years have passed since that trip, and now this tiny piece of paradise on the gulf is my home, and the home of what I think will be the best event we've ever put together. It has little to do with me and everything to do with the place, the people, and the aesthetic that has welcomed NEON to the vibrant home that it's always been destined to find itself in. Whether you're from here or will be visiting for NEON 2023, be sure to take it all in next year when you attend, as the vibe we wanted to convey isn't going to be limited to just our venue. If you're like me and believe that the look and feel of the past is gone forever, I think you'll find that you were as mistaken as I was. Trust me when I say that nothing is stopping us from bringing these vibes into the present.  

We've also created a casual Instagram account where we post aesthetic photos of our Florida travels from time to time. Follow at www.instagram.com/neonflorida if you're into that sort of thing.