Synthwave Single Review: "Cassette" by Looney Jetman

Looney Jetman has harked back to the roots of synthwave with his single Cassette. It is full of all of the synth sparkle, drum heartbeat and bass throb that originally made the genre so attractive. Much of that retro feel is established here, but the production sounds sharper and more fresh than the earlier generation of synthwave production might have.

There’s much to like about this track from the bright synths glowing over deep pulsations of bass and the driving, unmistakable sound of the retro drums that throb into the track. The singing lead synth solo is full of energy and light while the guitar solo flies along with an uplifting feeling about it.

I also enjoyed how the song broke into a half time rhythm and the guitar became more gentle as the synths flowed under it before the drumbeat began to ramp up again. This track has all the soaring energy a good synthwave track needs and the guitar hits the spot with the singing and empowering qualities that fill the melody.

Of course, this means that Cassette is not on the cutting edge of synth music as it has evolved. For me, that’s less important than the fact that the music is well-crafted and creates exactly the right atmosphere for classic synthwave. Looney Jetman has shown his affection for the genre and created an homage to the artists without whom the current #synthfam could not have come into being.