Retro synths and a heavy eighties beat create a brilliantly cinematic hit of 80’s inspired escapism for this latest single from Zenith Volt.
Musically pristine, crafted and produced to a superb quality, CHALLENGER rains down with a certain hypnotic delicacy and fullness.
From multiple layers of synths and lighter details, that downpour proves quite powerfully immersive – quickly prompting you to turn up the volume. Then at about the minute and a half point, the singer’s vocals match this rise in intensity and passion with faultless precision and grit, further emphasizing the uplifting strength of the moment.
CHALLENGER is a fantastic song, simply put. The sort of M83 alternative hit that permits it the timeless quality to become thousands of music fans’ go-to whenever they need a little volume and room to daydream.
Zenith Volt have crafted this with superb attention to detail, but what really gives the song its edge is the passion intertwined with this. Blend skillful musicality with a clear love for the genre and indeed for performance, and what you get is a multi-coloured, euphoric and rather blissful dream – one that gets the heart racing and the mind ready to take on anything.
Listen loud.
* * *
Your music seems to exist in your own world, a throwback to the 80’s but with elements of outer space and futurism… give us a description of the creative space your music exists in.
Personally speaking, composing through a soft lens of nostalgia keeps my intentions pure. I like contemplating universal paradigm shifts from the comfort of my own youth. I find great balance in writing music from this head-space. It’s like walking… there’s always one foot in the past and another one charging into the future.
Do you have any strong influences in synth-waves or any specific genres, or do you draw your influence from a wide array of artists?
The synthwave genre in general is amazing and so many of the artists within it inspire me creatively. If the 1980s was the home of your youth or music/pop culture from that time period appeals to you then synthwave is made for you. When it is done right it evokes a kind of neuro nostalgic euphoria. It’s hard to explain but I’m pretty sure every synthwave fan knows exactly what im referring to.
Harking back to the artists of the 1980s, my biggest influences include… INXS, The Cars, Phil Collins (very much so), Peter Gabriel, The Police, Talking Heads, Tears For Fears, Queen and the list goes on…
Let’s end it with this; there’s a lot going on in the world right now, as an artist you can choose to acknowledge it or create an escape from it. Where do you stand personally?
This is a great question! I would have to say… You can’t escape from something if you don’t know what it is, so acknowledgement in one form or the other must take place.
There are so many ways to artistically acknowledge events or points in time, some ways are more overt than others. Stylistically I like to breathe in everything around me and compose my inner thoughts into an all-encompassing soundtrack. I’ve never been good at telling a specific story by way of song, but I can say when I compose something in my own broad-brush stroke style, I feel a sense of contentment. I whole heartedly, humbly believe that I’ve contributed a little positivity to our existence.
Sound is everywhere, music is everywhere. Hopefully mine will shine some light where it is needed.
* * *
Download or stream CHALLENGER here or via Bandcamp.
