Displaying items by tag: 2023 Music

Tickets for NEON Retrofest go on sale tonight, so It's the perfect time to announce the incredible Robert Parker as a headliner in an already killer live #synthwave lineup! He's bringing back his electrifying live performance all the way from Stockholm, Sweden to NEON.

NEON wouldn't be the same without him being part of it again. One of the original giants of the #synthwave sound since '09, his debut album Drive is an early cornerstone of the genre. In 2016 he released Crystal City, a French House and Disco-infused masterpiece.

Robert's more recent releases The End of the Night and Club 707 have thrilled listeners as well, as he continues to spearhead the high-energy European sound of retro-inspired electronic music. Listen to more via New Retro Wave here: https://newretrowave.bandcamp.com/album/crystal-city

Tickets go on sale this weekend, so it's time to drop our first headlining act: BETAMAXX, a true synthwave legend who will be taking over the NEON Retrofest stage along with a number of other pioneers of the classic Retrowave sound. You NEED to be here for this.

Responsible for some of the most recognizable releases in the genre, Betamaxx helped shape what we know as Synthwave with earthshaking LPs in the early 2010s like Lost Formats and Sophisticated Technology, setting the pace for a rapidly evolving sound and scene.

After a brief retirement, Betamaxx reemerged and was a surprise guest headliner at NEON 2018, capping off one of Retro's most unforgettable weekends. Nick grasps the subtleties of the #analog lifestyle better than anyone we know. To hear more, visit https://betamaxxmusic.bandcamp.com/

The #neonretrofest2023 spotlight is on Sferro! One of the #synthwave artists who started it all in 2010, he's bringing a special DJ set of his own legendary releases to Neon Retrofest 2023. Hold on tight, because tickets go on sale this week and there's lots more to reveal!

The founder of Girlfriend Records, one of #synthwave's first music labels, Sferro's foundational sound helped to define the fledgling scene with EPs New Output and Wetware Computer, giving us some of the earliest #retrowave jams of a rad new genre.

And Sferro hasn't stopped. Remaining active throughout the years with numerous singles, albums, and collaborative releases, he'll be part of an evening showcasing some of the classic legends of retrowave at #neonretrofest2023. Listen more at https://girlfriendrecords.bandcamp.com/

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!