Synthwave Sunday: Deadlife, The Order of Chaos

Deadlife’s debut album Bionic Chrysalis, released in the back half of last year, was so damn good that it made my “Best of 2017” list, the only synthwave release to do so.

Only a few months later, the UK-based one-man project is already back with a new full-length, The Order of Chaos. Must be nice not to be shackled by the constraints of expensive recording studios and annoying band members, right?

The Order of Chaos picks up where Bionic Chrysalis left off, diving headfirst into synthwave’s dancier side with hard-hitting club beats, pulsating techno bass thumps, analog and chiptune-inspired synths that slice and dice, and don’t worry — this is dark synthwave after all — plenty of distortion. The first four tracks on the album kick the party off all hands on deck: standout cut “Hard Bitch” goes, well, hard, a verifiable club banger with Mega Man 2 lead synths. The action takes a quick break with “Digital Rain,” an aching ballad featuring vocalist Mecha Maiko, but then kicks right back up again and doesn’t relent throughout. This is the kind of synthwave you want cranking at your party if you enjoy getting the fuck down; none of that wistful, mopey stuff here!

The Order of Chaos is out now via New Retro Wave, and can be streamed below via Bandcamp.