Artiste: Night Runner
Nationality: Mexican
Album: Starfighter
Year: 2014
Label: None; Bandcamp release
Genre: Synthwave
Tracks:
After hours
Invaders
Starlight
Ride the sky
Roses and blood
Almost there
The sentinels
Nuclear countdown
The driver
Murder in Miami
Chronological position: Debut album?
Familiarity: Zero
Interesting factoid:
Initial impression: Some pretty good electronica here
Best track(s): Um, everything really
Worst track(s): n/a
Comments: “Just two guys trying to make rad music” is the bio, as such, that you'll see if you go to the Bandcamp page of Night Runner. Which while interesting and different, does not give you much of an idea as to what kind of music you're gong to encounter. I mean, “rad” could cover a whole heap of genres couldn't it? I'm guessing, from the titles and the album cover, AOR, hard rock or maybe even metal? The “two guys” in question are Alex Dioddao and Tabique Malevolo. Well, “After hours” certainly has a synthy, poppy opening but give it time. Builds nicely for an opener, layer on layer of sound, very electronic before some sort of taped vocal cuts in, but it kind of dies out and “Invaders” comes in on strong synth and this time some nice electric guitar, high tempo, rocks nicely. No vocals yet; not sure if there will be any. “Starlight” is another uptempo synthy piece, pretty sure this is all instrumental now at this stage.
“Ride the sky” has an almost orchestral tinge to it before it kicks up into a real high energy number with handclaps and thumping percussion, some sweet bright piano lines, while “Roses and blood” is the first time these two guys slow down at all, delivering a strong, dramatic piano-led piece that just smoulders. Things pick back up then for “Almost there”, trundling along really nicely with some very expressive guitar, and “The sentinels” has a dark kind of brooding menace about it. Very infectious, very upbeat, like this a lot. Pretty definitely electronic music anyway, mostly synth-driven. “Nuclear countdown” is the first track since the opener to have vocals on it, though they're again the soundtrack to a movie I think, where someone shouts about missiles being locked in and the world shortly being at war. There's a really nice strong synth line leading this, with rippling piano and a descending synth line too. Really pretty good. Back uptempo rockin' with “The Driver”, which hurtles along like a Lambourghini cruising along a high mountain road in Monte Carlo, and we end on “Murder in Miami”, which sort of brings things down a notch and does certainly remind me of the best of Jan Hammer. Superb offering all round.
Overall impression: For two guys who aren't even signed, and for a debut, this is nothing short of stunning. If Night Runner can get a deal with some major label, they have one hell of a bright future ahead of them.
Hum Factor: 6
Intention: Keep a close eye on these guys.