September 18, 2021 — It has been a slow pair of weeks for synthwave. Then again, it is rarely about how many new releases drop — but the quality of the few tracks that manage to lit a heartfelt fire. And since we’re seeing new stuff from The Midnight, it is already turning out to be a pretty exciting Yestermade Fortnightly.

Our biweekly roundup doesn’t just peak and plateau with the Los Angeles musical duo, however. There is plenty of newly released synth to fill your Spotify playlist. So, without further adieu, let’s look at what the retrowave community has the pleasure of listening to now.

Droid Bishop Wins The Midnight Remix Contest

The Midnight’s most recent release, ‘Deep Blue (Droid Bishop Remix)’, was born from a collaboration between the Californian duo and electronic artist Droid Bishop. Many moons ago, on February 5, 2021, The Midnight charged listeners and talented artists to create their own twist on ‘Deep Blue’. With all Midnight STEMs loaded onto Bandcamp by, creatives and fans went to work, and on September 17, the Droid Bishop’s remix was unveiled to the world.

There is something light and gentle about the Droid Bishop cut, especially when the blaring saxophone isn’t filling the speakers. The song relies heavily on vocals as the background track is a bit on the subdued side, though it seems more intentional than not. A touch of jazz adds energy to ‘Deep Blue’ when needed but isn’t enough to overpower the soft synth notes Droid Bishop, whose real name is James Bowen, expertly integrated to make an appealing and easygoing track.

Droid Bishop isn’t unknown in the synth community, and though ‘Deep Blue’ is the latest from the synth artist, Bowen is taking pre-orders on his latest album Into the Abstract. Returning to The Midnight for a moment, Yestermade-readers might like to know the talented pair will be in San Diego on September 25 — joined by Droid Bishop at The Observatory North Park.

Fury Weekend Fuses Rock ‘n Roll with Synth

The last we heard from Warsaw project Cassetter, it was the peak of summer, and we were entering into a ‘Robert Era’. After a short spell, Cassetter is back with ‘Introspection (feat. d.notive) [Fury Weekend Remix]’. It sounds like there’s a lot going on with this new release, but we promise it comes together as a competent and fairly energetic track worthy of a spot on the Yestermade Fortnightly.

D.notive worked with Cassetter on the original ‘Introspection’, which was a lovingly synthwave special with all the feelings of nostalgia and electronica expected of the genre. The catchy beat and hard-hitting vocals were accelerated with the help of Fury Weekend. The remix is a fun reworking of the original, adding just a touch of rock ‘n roll attitude.

Cassetter hasn’t hinted at future tracks, but the ‘Introspection’ remix and the artist’s healthy discography should hold us over until the next release.

Camille Glemet Beautifies an Arwelone Track

Camille Glemet is a multi-talented starlet, swapping between acting and singing to delight the growing audience. Most recently, she partnered with the musical wonder Arwelone to craft the love-struck sounds of ‘Into The Night’. Arwelone’s command of synth and Glemet’s vocals come together for a welcome return to the classic sounds of 80s love songs.

Arwelone brings the mood with a track that’s smooth, steady, and catchy. Glemet adds a touch of emotion with powerful vocals that don’t stumble to convey the message intertwined within the lyrics.

We’re always excited to see something come from the Cocktails and Avenues artist, but now we’re on the lookout for more from Glemet, the rising star of France.

Street Cleaner Launches Remixed EP and Talks Games

Recently, the 1980s-inspired synth project, Street Cleaner, announced the release of a five-track EP, all full of remixed tracks Homeward featured a selection of the artist’s best, retooled by names like Big Time Kill, Cogex, and Watch Out for Snakes. The EP also made a little room for the boisterous talents of Ace Buchannon, who helped reworked Street Cleaner’s ‘Courser’ into an energetic and spirited piece of electronic music.

‘Courser’ is a standout track on the EP, but Watch Out for Snakes’ rendition of ‘In This Together’ and Cogex’s take on ‘Control’ bring their own uniqueness to Homeward. It’s been over seven years since Street Cleaner doled out a remix-only EP, and, as the evidence shows, it was worth the wait.

Though Street Cleaner is best known for the music, this generational tribute is currently working on an arcade game titled Street Cleaner: The ARCADE Game!. A preview of the cabinet has been making its rounds across California, with its next stop planned at Aztec Brewery in Vista, California, on October 16. Along with the physical cabinet, Street Cleaner is expected to launch on Steam and Nintendo’s eShop.

As always, the retro and synthwave scenes are burgeoning with creativity and drive. Yestermade™ looks forward to bringing you, our dear readers, even more goodies. Until the next Fortnightly, get on the Yesterwave’s Spotify playlists — and stay tuned.