Black Sky Giant. Just let that sink in for a bit. Ruminate on it. Blasting out of Rosario, Argentina, Black Sky Giant bring a unique vibe to the psychedelic instrumental soundscape. With their album Planet Terror, they get properly Lovecraftian in their cosmic horror.
The Cthulhu image on the cover is, really, about as far as the pure Lovecraft gets before peyote kicks in and rips open a gate into the darkest reaches of your mind. This is the soundtrack to the best trips you ever had and never wanted. BSG plunge you right into some wild, wavy and wibbly sounds. Planet Terror stacks up to just under thirty-seven minutes, but the ride is epic.
Sometimes, even for this old cyberpunk and chillwave nerd, you just need something more foundational. More primal. More visceral. White Wizzard's 2018 release Infernal Overdrive lights that fuse within me. A caveat: I don't really dig a lot of White Wizzard's other albums. But with Infernal Overdrive, they really hit the sweet spot. This is delectable hard rock, bordering on metal, that is hard to beat.
This was the album to start it all for me. I have, despite the look you get from the social presence of Dead Heretic, a total, all-consuming obsession with all things cyberpunk. And that started decades after I was a young person living in the midst of the New Wave and cyberpunk peak. Then I stumbled upon the self-titled album by Scandroid and my life turned neon.
Scandroid is a complete and well-rounded dive into the neon pools of Neo Tokyo, post-human punks and more. If you are not into 1980's inspired synths with wickedly cool vocals, you had better avoid this one. Even my Chinese friend, who had never heard cyberpunk before, exclaimed Scandroid was “so old”. She was stunned when I told her it was released in 2016.
Mystic Sound Records are a new label for the Heretic, but they have fast come to the fore of my listening rotation. It is artists like Rukirek who have cemented MSR's place in my Obsession Quotient.
Beyond All Dimensions is a sonically complex and deep work of seven tracks running you up to over an hour of chilled out and semi-chilled synth heaven. It all kicks off subtly with world music sounding vibes, but the album builds up a little. As you progress through the tracks, you get a thumpier beat and a little, small-time sonic mugging.
Ed Herbers has a long history of creating soundscapes that not only sooth and create new happy places, but also for some deeper story telling. With Upper Atmosphere, Ed Herbers has reached a pinnacle in the tale weaving skill set.
The Cthulhu image on the cover is, really, about as far as the pure Lovecraft gets before peyote kicks in and rips open a gate into the darkest reaches of your mind. This is the soundtrack to the best trips you ever had and never wanted. BSG plunge you right into some wild, wavy and wibbly sounds. Planet Terror stacks up to just under thirty-seven minutes, but the ride is epic.
Sometimes, even for this old cyberpunk and chillwave nerd, you just need something more foundational. More primal. More visceral. White Wizzard's 2018 release 
Mystic Sound Records are a new label for the Heretic, but they have fast come to the fore of my listening rotation. It is artists like Rukirek who have cemented MSR's place in my Obsession Quotient.