Synthwave Sunday: Monomer, Labyrinth

Monomer — aka Gavin Allen — cites “all varieties of modern chipmusic and old NES/SNES soundtracks” as his primary influences on his Facebook page bio.

That should give you a pretty good idea of what to expect from Monomer’s 2014 album Labyrinth. The tones are straight out of any game you obsessed over on late-night sleepovers as a kid — Metroid, Mega Man, Star Fox, F-Zero — laid on top of a modern electronic framework with slick, tight production. If you grew up in the ’80s and ’90s these sounds cut right to the very core of your youth, simultaneously invoking wistful nostalgia and a sense of yearning for a high-tech future (like those hoverboards we still haven’t gotten).

But sick tones do not a great record make, and it’s Allen’s keen sense of melody and composition that really drives this thing forward. The lead synth lines are instantly memorable and immensely satisfying on repeat listens, the songs are well-crafted, and the basslines and beats perfectly complement what’s going on up front. I’ve listened to Labyrinth at least a half dozen times over the past couple of weeks and it just keeps getting better and better. “Warden” might be one of my favorite tracks I’ve heard all year, by anyone. The title track and “Phantom Trace” are also standouts.

Start with the title track Soundcloud embed below to get a taste of the best Labyrinth has to offer, then jam the full album via Bandcamp — it’s worth every minute.