Artist Weekly is here🎃 This edition I feature Dark Smoke Signal -Alex is an 80s kid like myself. Dark Smoke Signal is heavily influenced by pop culture from this era. He explains how Darksynth, Cyberpunk and Synthwave have become a part of his music. Scroll to read more of this Halloween special.
Published- Friday 28th October 2022
Welcome to the Halloween special Artist Weekly. For this edition, we have the fantastic Dark Smoke Signal. DSS is a synthwave artist and producer called Alex Pope from Bristol, UK. As an 80s child, Dark Smoke Signal is heavily influenced by pop culture from this era and this shows in his music. Flickering in the shadows between the genres of Synthwave and Darksynth, songs are a mix of vocal and instrumental styles retaining a melodic edge that hooks the listener in. My personal favorite tracks are the new song with CONNÖR called Megacorp. Also, the song Download Complete and his album The Antipope resurrection is pure art formed into music. So if you are into Cyberpunk and Darksynth I would definitely recommend Dark Smoke Signal as a start to get into the genre. Look out in 2023 as you could potentially see Alex performing live. Nothing has yet been confirmed but I hope to see this incredible artist on stage in the future.
Question one-
Synthwave83- So let’s talk about the beginning where it all started. What was it about Darksynth, Cyberpunk, and Synthwave that pulled you in? And when did you first start making music?
Dark Smoke Signal- I think the first music compositions I made were waaaaay back in the last ice age… on a BBC Micro computer programming it in using BASIC. I remember coding in the motif from Close Encounters of the Third Kind and then mucking about with the pitches of the notes making a new tune and thinking how cool it was. But I guess consistently doing it in earnest was when I got my hands on a tascam portastudio 4 track tape recorder for the first time.. and then discovered you could bounce tracks onto one to give yourself even more than 4 tracks to use. There are tapes in a box somewhere with some horrendous thrash metal songs. I must try and find them! I think what got me into this genre of music we love is probably the Kavinsky track Protovision and the imagery. And then quickly discovering Gunship. But I think it was probably when I heard Turbokiller that ticked every single box for me… it was like someone had downloaded all the influences in my head and created the perfect track. Brut is a genius.
Question Two–
Synthwave83– What mostly is your inspiration when creating a track? What instruments do you play, and what would you say was your go-to tech?
DSS– It varies a lot for me. Sometimes it may be a vocal melody, strumming an acoustic guitar in front of the telly, or programming in a bassline in midi. Sometimes it may be a particular lyric idea. But most of my songs tend to start with a central small idea and branch out from there. I play guitar and basic keys but if you can hum something in your head and work with midi VST instruments anyone can get going being creative… it’s how hard you work at it from there that counts I think and your willingness to learn and soak knowledge up. I use Ableton as a DAW and synths I use a lot incl. u-he products such as DIVA and Repro, a lot of Arturia’s softsynths, and Serum for piercing sounds. I’ve just purchased a Quad Cortex which is a jaw-dropping bit of kit so expect to hear that on the album
Question Three–
Synthwave83– What tracks that you produced or released yourself mean the most to you?
DSS– Difficult! The lyrics mean the most to me. I tend to spend a lot of time honing lyrics for a song and always want them to come from somewhere deep down and have meaning. Afterlife is themed around losing my Father when I was very young. December Rose seems to connect with a lot of people as I have had such lovely DMs from strangers who have shared with me how much it means to them and even how listening to it has helped them… which is quite frankly the most touching thing.
Question Four–
Synthwave83– You’ve played at many a gig in the last few years. I have to say Tales From The Crypt 2 looked like a blast. Which one has been your favorite to date?
DSS– Ah thanks, it really was a blast. Some great acts. I had monitoring issues on stage which I did my best to work with but it was tough! Space Jams and Steel City did a great job with both events in Bristol this year, they really make the artists feel as comfortable as possible and put in a lot of work for the scene. Put it this way, it certainly isn’t for profits these events are put on! I think my favourite to date has been the first Tales from the Crypt; was close to the crowd and really felt the energy. Keep an eye out for events planned for next year… that’s all I can say for now!
Question five-
Synthwave83– What’s to come from DSS in the future? You’ve performed, evolved, and looking at the plays/sales (not to say they mean everything) you’re fans are loving what you do. So what would you like to see in the future for yourself as an artist?
DSS- 2022 has been a quiet year for me with DSS release-wise. For various reasons, I won’t go into it now. But the second album is on the horizon and I am planning to do a self-financed limited edition vinyl release. No release date as yet because I want it to be as good as it can be which takes time. I’m a bit of a perfectionist so always fiddling about with mixes… and probably ending back where it started, ha. I’m sure a lot of producers can relate to that. I debuted one of the tracks from it live at Tales from the Crypt 2. I have had the pleasure of collaborating with some super-talented artists from around the globe since album 1 dropped and I’m keen to do more. I love sharing ideas with people and seeing how it grows from initial seeds.
Bonus question-
Synthwave83– What are your Top 5 Halloween movies?
DSS– To be honest I’m not a big horror fan, Sci-fi is more my thing (Bladerunner is my all-time favorite film). But these films mean something to me for different reasons. • Scream -I always remember the trailer for it before it came out was so intriguing, that opening scene and the switch up when the killer says the line ‘Because I wanna know who I’m looking at down the phone to Drew Barrymore. •The Blair Witch Project -I got really stoned watching this on pirate video before it came out around a friend’s house then had to walk home through a wood… you get the picture! •The Shining -A masterpiece I can watch over and over again. Nicholson is my favorite actor. •The Grudge -Gave me the worst nightmare I ever had, a dreamt a small Japanese boy was doing that freaky jarring movement thing they do in horror across the room at me in the actual room I was sleeping in and I thought I was awake. Still picture his face now.. shudder. • Texas Chainsaw Massacre -More for the disturbing soundtrack, so unsettling and it just never lets up.
S83- Wow that’s kinda funny as I’m not a fan of horror films either. I’m more into Action, comedy, or thriller movies. It’s funny you mention The Grudge. I went to the cinema to watch it, the worse experience of my life. It scared me for years. Even The Ring movie was a bit much lol
You can find Dark Smoke Signal music on all streaming platforms.
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