Synthwave Sunday: Carbon Killer, “Carbon Inc.”

The slate of new artists in the dark synthwave world has been pretty bleak of late, save for last year’s genre-defining debut by Deadlife. Such is the problem with a retro-based genre that mines nostalgia for emotional connection: there’s only so many ways you can recycle what’s old and make it new again.

Where Deadlife’s Bionic Chrysalis succeeded in melding old-school analog sounds with deep, dark, techno-infused beats and searing chiptune, French newcomer Carbon Killer’s new entry does a whole lot more of the same. Perhaps this is the way forward for dark synthwave: keep those danceable grooves charging along, but reinvigorate the sonic palette with some new textures. Nothing on Carbon Inc. is as destructively heavy as anything GosT or Perturbator are currently putting out, but it doesn’t need to be: the music is plenty interesting and the songs are strong enough to carry themselves. Good songwriting ultimately does trump all, every single time. “The Last Stand” and “The Runaway (Part 2)” are both highlights in that regard.

Check out Carbon Inc. below and purchase it on Bandcamp; it came out on March 16th via rising synthwave powerhouse Lazerdiscs Records.