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Dark Stars: Here’s the John Carpenter-themed synth-pop album of your dreams & nightmares


Back in February, horror and science fiction film master John Carpenter released Lost Themes, a collection of scores that mirrored his soundtrack work since his career began back in the mid-’70s. But it seems that right around the time Sacred Bones Records unveiled that to the world, the finishing touches were being put on a thrilling tribute compilation to Carpenter, titled simply Carpenter, by Retro Promenade.

The Austin-based champion of the retro-synth genre this week has released that comp, and it’s magnificent, featuring original compositions from 20 bands and artists — including Vanya faves like Gunship, VHS Glitch, and Lazerhawk — which all take inspiration from Carpenter’s classic films. The inspiration includes movies like Halloween, Escape From New York, Big Trouble In Little China, Christine, The Thing, and more.

A little over three months ago, Retro Promenade put out a call to action for submissions from artists who wished to create music inspired by anything in John Carpenter’s films,” Retro Promenade writes on Facebook. “Twenty slots were available, more than 20 artists submitted, and five third-party selectors were invited to choose their top 20 tracks for the album, and this method is to ensure that the top tracks are all super high quality without any inner politics taking focus.”

Retro Promenade adds: “Brought together by our common appreciation for the works of legendary filmmaker and musician, each of the artists went above and beyond in an attempt to create something worthy of the name.”

The best part? The whole thing is FREE.

Get downloading via the Bandcamp link below, and check out the incredible companion poster by Sam Todhunter.



JohnCarpenterPoster