Free Music Friday: Orange Trickster is an electronic music project that seeks ‘to rescue the synthpop of the early 1980s, through the sounds, beats and vocal harmonies on the choruses characteristic of the age and style’.
You can preview the track, The Shadow, via their music video, above, or download the track via the SoundCloud embed below.
via Orange Trickster
It sounds too contemporary digital as in MicroKorg rave-genre presets – unless you were looking for really mainstream 80s synth sound. I’d not associate it with any college-radio type music but big commercial station music. Check out the Minimal Wave collections on vinyl and youtube posted by ogdjjohnnyflashback for more genre background.
not a bad track, but I think i’d prefer it without the arp. i feel it’s cluttering up the track, and a bit generic. The rest of the track is strong enough to stand on it’s own, and I think it would sound nicer with a bit more space for everything to shine, imho. fun track, though!
Have to totally agree with goat monster about the arp at the beginning. It just does not fit the track well. It reminds me too much of the maelstrom synth in Rason or something.
Other than that I like the vibe of the track and the other synth sounds are much better. The 8th note arp that comes in at 1 minute is cool tho.
Cool vocal fx too!
I agree. The arp is too much. Reminds me of “Send Me and Angel” and would be better with out the ARP.
Solid track except for the arp as noted by fellow posters.
That’s not 80s, its 70s: pure disco. BOOM-BAP, BOOM-BAP. I was yawning by the second BOOM-BAP. With all of this synth power available, why do people keep re-re-re-channeling 30-to-40-year-old styles? I sincerely wish they’d stop doing endless homages long enough to present something more engaging. Growing out of Depeche Mode surrogacy would seem like a worthy challenge. Where’s the passion? Where’s the individual personality? Where are the zaggers who have more to say than “I own an Electribe?” Its not even a matter of my one little opinion; its more a sociological matter of adhering to the herd rather than stepping out on your own more often. Its kind of pointless to be all synth-proud if you sound like a 30+-year-old band within the first 4 measures. Everyone wants to be an individual, but too few seem to know how to manage it. Turning off the step-sequencers might be a good start. Okay, here comes the hate, heheheh….
Whenever I encounter such comments I immediately think of two things: How should one go about creating a totally new kind of sound and music without practising music (and while at it necessarily rehashing what’s been before)? And: What exactly is the difference between sounding like a some other contemporary act within the first 4 or 8 bars and sound like a 30 or 40 year old band in the same amount of time?
Everything’s been done before in some way, art seems to be not so much about inventing (or even innovating) but more about (re-) discovering and mixing different influences and ideas. That’s certainly something this track achieves although I personally did not enjoy it.
It sounds cool to me 🙂
Hi there!
First of all, thanks for all the comments and impressions.
Yes, this music was inspired by mainstream artists from 80’s, if you consider specially New Order as mainstream.
The ARP is really too much, but it’s there because the concept of this song, I mean, it brings anguish, and the song is about pursuit, imagine a guy running from a obsessed girl 🙂
Yes, it is disco, if you take the string like synths and the boom-bap, I consider and respect all opinions, but as the name says Orange “Trickster” is more about having fun with synths and music than anything else. It’s always good to share different opinions… it makes music go better.
Again, thanks again for everyone for listening and for your comments.
Best regards!