Synthwave Sunday: Timecop1983, Reflections

So much synthwave banks on nostalgia as its chief emotive force; not nostalgia for actual history, but for a revisionist version of the ’80s way more badass and hyperbolic than the reality of how those years were, or for a retro-futuristic version of the near future inspired by the past.

Timecop1983 taps into that nostalgic vein as well as anyone in the genre, as if his moniker leaves any doubt about the chief emotion he traffics in. There’s a certain melancholy tonality to all of his songs — even the upbeat, major key ones — that just screams wistfulness, like shouting forlornly into the wind for a long lost lover from the highest rooftop, over and over again. Timecop1983’s chilled out, synth-laden jams tap into whatever inner struggle you’re currently experiencing in life; you’ll swear these songs were written about you, for you. That’s especially remarkable given that the majority of his music is instrumental.

Check out Timecop1983’s 2015 album Reflections below; visit him on Bandcamp, Facebook and Soundcloud.

Also: a brand new track called “Forever and Ever,” released as part of the Synth Love Affair Volume 1 compilation.