Synth music has been thriving in the past decade, with many artists delivering releases that sound compelling. Still, there are only a few music outlets that craft catchy, memorable, engaging music worth returning to over and over again. Luke Tangerine is unquestionably one of those artists who surprise with each new material, delivering standalone singles, extended plays, albums, and collabs that not only resonate with the finest elements of synth music but also push the boundaries of this longstanding music genre. If we consider that synth music has existed since the sixties, it’s nearly impossible to craft anything that we have not heard before, but Luke Tangerine always finds his way to impress the listeners. With “Retrodelic,” a self-explanatory extended play consisting of five incredible compositions, he pays homage to the eighties sound while simultaneously breathing fresh air into the genre. Those paying attention to our writings about this fascinating German songwriter, composer, and musician already know that he continuously delivers top-notch tracks where sincere emotion, wise composing, and premium musicianship collide harmoneously, so that’s the case with “Retrodelic” as well. By infusing fundamental elements of disco, funk, soul, groove, dance, and all sorts of electronic music into the rock-solid synth pop and synth wave foundation, he sculpts music rarely heard or seen nowadays, and the bigger plus about it is the fresh, unique, innovative, and exciting approach to doing it so. “Retrodelic” is undoubtedly an amalgamation of experience, knowledge, creativity, talent, and skills, distilled into brilliant ideas and marvelous orchestrations that ultimately are the main fabric of all these beautiful songs. Luke Tangerine always combines different techniques, various approaches, and many complementary music genres, and it’s nearly mindblowing how every time it works flawlessly, proving his tremendous knowledge and dedication to the craft. Although these compositions shine with qualities that meet all the trends in contemporary music production, Luke Tangerine also implemented a vividly hearable touch of nostalgia, evoking those times when synth music ruled the airwaves. Therefore, “Retrodelic” will not only appeal to the newcomers to the genre but also to those picky music enthusiasts who appreciate clever arranging, wise composing, and flawless performance.
Right off the bat, Tangerine spices up the atmosphere with “Funky Times,” a perfect opening track that immediately showcases what you might expect from the remainder of the material. The artist expertly blended those funky chord progressions, progressive basslines, well-accentuated rhythmic patterns, progressive and psychedelic synth works, with catchy vocal lines that force you to jump out of your chair and start to dance. It’s an uplifting, energetic track that invites you to move around and deep dive into “Retrodelic” ambiance. With “Exoplanet Signal,” Luke Tangering slows down a pace a little bit and goes into more complex, progressive yet psychedelic synth wave waters. If any track from this material evokes seventies and eighties synthwave music, it’s this one. The magnificent saxophone themes and leads mingle with jangly, tender synth works, while another dosage of jazzy basslines and robust electronic beats offers more than necessary groove and pace while keeping the remainder of the instrumentation in line. “Discotheque” drops some seriously addictive leads, themes, melodies, and harmonies, forming a lush soundscape that could satisfy even those picky disco fans. Relying upon another barrage of thoughtfully programmed beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics and basslines so warm they could melt the dancefloor, Luke Tangerine prepares the listeners for a dancing session of a lifetime. Above this rock-solid rhythm section, a comprehensive collection of jangly, choppy, funky chord progressions shapes a perfect backdrop for more hypnotic, addictive, irresistible synth leads, melodies, pads, and other sonic maneuvers. Also, Luke Tangerine included more vocal lines that accentuate all those marvelous sections of the song. One of the true standout tracks not only on this material, but on the contemporary synth scene for sure. “Fire In My Soul” continues at a more moderate pace, with even more soul, funk, rhythm and blues, and pop ambiance. Like in the previous track, Luke Tangerine incorporates only the finest orchestrations to achieve a profoundly complex yet easy listening, danceable, cheerful atmosphere. This is music that instantly uplifts, energizes, and brings good vibes to the listener. Once again, the rhythm section delivers some of the finest, warmest, detailed basslines and well-accentuated, complex beats, while the synths, brass section, and guitars shape a subtle yet powerful atmosphere, bringing a dancefloor anthem into your speakers. This epic sonic journey comes to an end with “Velvet Afterglow,” another standout composition that continuously levitates between disco, retro synth, and modern pop. Like the remainder of the material, this composition has that dancefloor quality, mainly because of all those themes, melodies, harmonies, pads, and other synth maneuvers that make this track so fresh, unique, innovative, and exciting. It’s a proper closure that will immediately force you to spin this marvelous extended play over and over again.
Luke Tangerine has nailed it once again. He continuously proves that he’s one of the most original, creative, and successful songwriters, composers, and musicians, capable of producing radio hits, dancefloor anthems, and tracks more suitable for home consumption. His works never cease to amaze, but it seems that “Retrodelic” is his most comprehensive work so far. With all those quality instruments, brilliant ideas, and five songs that shine in the limelight, he proves that synth, disco, funk, and soul music still have so much to offer. Therefore, you should immediately head to your favorite streaming platform and give this majestic extended play a listen. Do not miss it!
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