One of synthwave’s major problems is length and staying power. For some reason, the genre’s artists seem to constantly overextend, creating albums well over the optimal run-time. Repetitiveness soon sets in and the genre’s power, which is the main reason most people listen to it, gets lost. Luckily, some artists there appreciate the power of brevity. Such power can be witnessed in spades on Das Mörtal‘s Always Loved. Who’s Das Mörtal you ask? Honestly, I have no goddamn clue; I got this tidbit via my inbox and had never heard of the artist before and you know, I like it that way. It adds mystique to an already compelling album, an album which we’re super happy to premiere a track from right here.
What can you expect? Well, first off, synths. Surprising, right? Das Mörtal’s approach to synths is very classic: they are the backbone of the album and have their genesis in the classic sounds of the 80’s. However, the arrangements themselves across the album are quite wide-ranging and interesting. From classic synthwave bangers like “Midnight Rendez-vous” (reminding us of the upcoming ZETA album, which is going to be amazing) to the darker follow up, “Backseat Love Affair” (more reminiscent of a kind of dream-y Perturbator), the album has it all. It does a lot with the basic tools of the genre, splicing them with interesting samples and an overall genuine approach to synthwave. “Dark Valley Intercourse”, true to its name, errs on the latter side of this, deploying ear-worms, high def textures, and an overall sexy groove to get its message across.
Coming back to my opening remarks, it also doesn’t drag. The track knows exactly when to bow out, leaving the listener with a definite taste for more instead of a cloying and lingering miasma of too sweet tunes. This is perhaps the greatest secret to why Always Loved works so well; its tracks are compact, they don’t waste time, and they has grace. This makes the album perfect for the coming summer months. Whether driving or languishing at home, Always Loved is a tidbit of freshness, a synthwave release that is more akin to an invigorating drink rather than a full course meal. If you like the snippet you heard here, a mere sip of an overflowing cup of goodness, head on over here to pre-order the album. Bottoms up!