Synthwave Sunday: Gunship’s Brutal New Claymation Music Video, “Tech Noir”

Gunship might be the most overtly pop-sounding synthwave artist we’ve featured in this space, ironic given that the group — not just one dude, for a change! — is the only one so far to feature members of an actual tried and true metal(ish) band. No, Fightstar aren’t exactly Slayer in their heaviness, but their blend of post-hardcore, metal and alternative certainly informs vocalist Alex Westaway and bassist Dan Haigh’s approach to their new synthwave project. (Check out Fightstar’s latest track here). You can hear it in the tones and the grittiness.

You can also see it in their new claymation music video for “Tech Noir,” which is violent as fuck. The clip — animated and directed by Lee Hardcastle — features your standard “damsel in distress” ’80s storyline, and has cameos by a procession of iconic action and horror ’80s characters such as Robocop, Alien, Jason, Leatherface, He-Man, and PinHead, as well as a voiceover from the master himself, John Carpenter (The Thing, Halloween, Assault on Precinct 13, Prince of Darkness, Escape from New York, etc). In short, it’s the PERFECT video for a synthwave song (although I could’ve done without seeing the film cover displayed each time a character first appears — we get it!).

Watch the absolutely badass video below. Gunship’s debut self-titled album is out now via Horsie in the Hedge; stream the entire album via Bandcamp below, or buy a physical copy right here.