A series of variations on a playful theme, the tracks of this EP create an ominous but playful look into the ambiguity of darkness, filled with both hope and fear. They achieve this with repetition of a trudging theme with lighter counter-themes that bring out a sense of adventure in the obscurity.

We should probably call this genre nightwave, since it incorporates the sombre intensity of epic soundtracks of the past, the transportation to an ancient time of dungeon synth, and the lush 1980s saturation of vaporwave with its sense of rolling discovery.

Humans fear doubt; our weapon against doubt — skepticism of our knowledge, choices, position, and selves — is certainty. Nightwave starts with a foreboding certainty like doom metal, but more like black metal expands into the possibilities of the nocturnal realm, all in pure synth.

Paradoxically, this has the same lightness as vaporwave: there is less of a tangible groove and more a sense of momentum pouring through time, in which texture leads to melodic hints that guide each piece, creating a sense of calm in the midst of uncertainty.

Tags: dungeon synth, garden gnome, nightwave, soundtrack, vaporwave