OUTRUN THE SUN | EVENT - 9th Oct
Next week Saturday 9th October sees the long awaited return of the Synth Event all dayer in Outrun the Sun located in Derby, UK.
This promises to be the place to be if you're an ardent Synth fan like myself with some incredible acts lined up punctuated with the best Synth Music spun by the fiercest DJ's to sustain what is sure to be an incredible atmosphere between acts.
An eclectic venue with the Synth fan in mind the organisers have gone one better and insured an awesome intermission between the day and night acts to allow a refresh and re-charge before the nights shenanigans. This is something I welcome entirely and would hope that it becomes a trend that catches on. All too often fests like to try and throw enough Synth to the wall to see what sticks and whilst the enthusiasm to see your favourite Artist or Band fuels that ticket buying arm for some the waiting game can prove exhausting if the headliner doesn't appear till the wee small hours of the morn! Outrun the Sun seemingly understand the pressure that this creates especially for the Artists, the want to play to a full and engaging house is everything and no doubt guaranteed.
Lets get to know a little bit about the Artists and venue shall we?
This incredible band from the UK are part of the brilliant Outland Recordings stable and have seen their star ascend since 2018 with their own unique brand of retrowave culminating in a hugely well received studio Album released last year entitled 'Blush'. Fresh from supporting Le Brock they're now riding that crest of a neon wave with gigs a plenty! Catch them live next week! Miss it? Miss out.....
Those who follow Forged in Neon intently will know my love for these guys and I'm super excited they've joined the incredible Outrun roster. This London Duo have had numerous successes with their music appearing in films and videogames and have played to thousands over their enjoyable career. They released their second album, In the Deepest of Dreams, on September 17th 2021 via New Retro Wave Records and by all accounts another hit for the gents who show no sign of slowing down. Catch them live next week, don't ignore the hype!
Every discerning Synth listener even in a casual sense would have come across these guys at some point and lets face it if you haven't you may want to re-evaluate your playlist choices. This incredible band from Nottingham are celebrated far and wide for their brilliantly executed Synth/Electro pop. Formed in 2014 they're often lauded as a gateway for new fans to the scene and I couldn't think of a better intro. With such stunning hits as 'Summer Lights' 'All we live for' and 'Flashbacks' from their newest Album 'Just Drive Part 2' they're not to be missed and having already seen them live, I cannot wait to see them again! You should to!
Amazing music and aesthetic combine to make this band the most beloved in the scene. With some of the most uplifting soundscapes of the 80's brought with ease into the 21st century they capture the very essence of the genre. Not to be outdone DUETT have also released some of the most engaging and outstanding vocal tracks I've ever heard to include Julienne, and Running scared sung by the incomparable Stuart Lockwood and Savour sung by the brilliant Hayley Roscoe and dare I mention the stellar team up with YATTE? Needless to say when I heard they where added to the bill I smashed that ticket link! Maybe you should to!
Injecting some much needed estrogen into proceedings could they have gotten anyone better than Roxi Drive? Let's face it probably not. Straight from the 80's her retro vocal ability soaked in synth nostalgia make her so perfect for this line up. She's a firm fav in the Forged camp and we believed in her so much that she was a welcome part of the 1st Forged in Neon Compilation with one of her hits ' Electricity'. I'm super excited to see her play live for the 1st time, don't be a debbie downer, get a ticket!
Hailing from Bristol, UK this experimental Synth Act fuse those retro sounds with modern technology to create a soundscape unlike no other. Having never seen them live and knowing others who have it's believed we're in for a treat and I for one cannot wait!
IVERSEN are an East-London based retro pop project, primarily composed of Josh Iverson & Jonny Royall. Josh is without doubt one of the best vocalists in the scene and I say that comfortable in the knowledge after hearing them play live. He's also pretty nifty on the dance floor but more of that later! Confessional songwriting and catchy hooks abound combine to make them an incredible band for sure! You can come down, don't leave town, stick around for this!
H E A D L I N E R
What can we say about this hit making Synth machine that hasn't already been said. Liverpool based producer and synthwave artist, Lee Blanshard, aka Kalax, has a background as a vocalist and bass player in several metal/alternative bands, but since 2006, he’s produced electronic music inspired by his mother’s 80’s cassette and vinyl collection which he grew up listening to, and also by 80’s movies. He's no stranger to the Synth circuit performing in venues the world over. Some of his tracks will also be featured in the 2021 Documentary ROBODOC. A Robocop Documentary. He’s also done work for clients such as BBC, Snapchat, Funkotronics Labs and Digixart. He'll no doubt be welcome back to the stage wit