I know that a lot of people enjoy to complain about the evils of companies like Spotify who take artists for granted and don’t give out enough pay and this is all with good and valid reason. Then again people won’t stop shopping on Amazon and that company has corporate greed written all over it – yet no one ever bats an eye at free shipping and cheap items. Philosophical rant aside, Spotify is also responsible for helping me find a LOT of my favorite artists in the few years I’ve had it. And a new case study on this matter lies within Miami Nights 1984, the stage name for Canadian synthwave producer and Rosso Corsa record-label founder Michael Glover. To say I’m late to the party is an understatement; the dude’s been releasing music and remixes since 2010 and has collaborated with the likes of Electric Youth (made famous from the Drive soundtrack like so many others).
My discovery of the musician came just a couple of weeks ago when Golden Hour came upon my recent releases playlist. I was sucked into the warm sunshine of retro-sunshine and palm beaches, a relentless heartbeat about to burst like the cinematic score to a long lost action film from the late 80s / early 90s. Funky and smooth yet packing a lovely synth pads for a pulse and a sign of life; ultra crisp jazz elements making me float as if I were laying in cloud above the Earth looking down at a lit-up night skyline. It was a gorgeous experience then and I’ve come back to it over and over and over again.
Alas I was smitten when I found that Golden Hour was but one song amongst many hailing from Miami Nights 1984’s most recent album COSMOPOLIS. Glover even stated that he used a special method to record the album. He said: All tracks have been recorded to high speed tape and slowed down for maximum chill vibes.
And what chills there are to be had if my description of Golden Hour is anything to go by. Synthwave isn’t the only thing on mind in COSMOPOLIS but there’s a heavy focus on vaporwave as well, as suggested by songs such as City Life. Emanating dialog and vocal samples echoing remnants of past time fulfilling a long-lost need for a pure fusion of the two genres – something I never thought I needed but now I know is a necessity.
The score of the album is taken to new heights on tracks such as Black Rain where the synths soar high above all else, where the music falls like icicles and there’s a sense of lingering tension. A theme song to a lost piece of media, a forgotten television show, or simply the soundtrack to unlocking nostalgia of the past. I could easily see mustachio’d gentlemen a la Vice tracking down the bad guys – only to discover that one or the other, or both, are just as corrupt as them.
I always say that my favorite albums are either the ones that can get my blood-pumping faster than anything else or something that stirs my imagination. This falls into the latter category. I’ve been on a winning streak lately of hardened beats and industrial laced antics. And sometimes it’s fun to fall into a nice comfortable bed and just chill. Though I don’t cover synthwave as often as I used to, my love for the genre has gone nowhere and Miami Nights 1984 is a testament to how the scene still produces gems.
