Editorials
6 Awesome Music Videos From Retrosynth Bands
The rise of retrosynth (or as some call it “futuresynth”) has been rather amazing. It’s a celebration of the aesthetics and the glory of the 80’s, all while utilizing modern advancements in technology and instrumentation to create something fresh and exciting.
A big name in the genre is, of course, Gunship, who are releasing their self-titled album on picture disc vinyl that we’re presenting. And to celebrate this upcoming release (pre-order your copy here), I’ve gathered six amazing music videos from retrosynth artists that will surely convince you to love this genre and their video as much as I do!
If you want to dig deeper into the rabbit hole that is retro/futuresynth, I really suggest heading on over to r/futuresynth and checking out everything they post. Some damn fine stuff over there!
Gunship – “Tech Noir”
I’m going to post this one right away in honor of the picture disc AND because it’s one helluva video! Directed by Lee Hardcastle, who directed the “T is for Toilet” segment in The ABC’s of Death, the video shows a claymation character who can use VHS tapes to morph into various iconic movie personas, such as Robocop, Rocky, and a Care Bear (trust me, it makes sense). Using that as it’s foundation, it becomes a chase for the character to save his love.
If you want ridiculous over-the-top gore and catchy music, this video has all that and more. Plus, the opening narration is John Carpenter. That alone should be enough to draw some interest!
Carpenter Brut – “Turbo Killer”
Holy fuck. This may be my favorite video of 2016 and we’ve still got over half the year to go!
The storyline here, if I’m correct, is that an alien spaceship comes to Earth to rescue one of the own kind, who is being held by some rather nefarious looking men (who also happen to be driving some kickass luxury vehicles). In order to save their friend, one of the aliens has to take control of another alien, who essentially is a car inCARnate! HA! …I’ll see myself out.
ANYWAYS! What ensues is a badass car chase that sees everyone driving on the side of the spaceship!
Expertly directed and crafted, this video has been making waves since its release and for very good reason! Just watch it and you’ll see why.
David Hasselhoff – “True Survivor”
This song may have been a marketing ploy for the parody/satire short film Kung Fury but it took on its own life and has since gained nearly 23 MILLION views! Yes, it’s essentially a ton of clips from the film but it’s also got David Hasselhoff just being a goddamn badass. Plus, it’s one of the most ridiculous videos you’ll ever see and it warrants a place on this list just for that.
Perturbator – “She is Young, She is Beautiful, She is Next”
Here we see a retrosynth video embracing not only the musical styles of the 80’s but also paying homage to the look of old-school video games.
The only way I can think to describe this video is by saying that it’s a journey from a safe place to the final boss battle of some cyberpunk-inspired sci-fi/fantasy RPG. With countless little nods to sci-fi, horror, and fantasy films and games, this video is right up the alley for anyone who wants to play, “Can you spot them all?”
Kavinsky – “Protovision”
A car chase through the streets, alleys, and bridges of Los Angeles, this video exudes a seedy quality and has a twist ending that hearkens back to The Terminator. There’s not much else to say but it’s worth checking out!
John Carpenter – “Night”
When the master himself releases a video, you put it on the list. There’s simply no way you can’t. Plus, it’s the kind of story that sits perfectly in the Carpenter cinematic universe.
The video shows John Carpenter using VR technology to “take over” a faceless, futuristic driver who makes his way through the night streets of Los Angeles. The video ends with Carpenter’s driver entering a parking garage and standing in front of another futuristic persona. Both draw weapons and…
What I love about this video is that it takes that gritty yet subdued air of the song and doesn’t go overboard with the visuals. Everything fits together wonderfully.
Judging from the unprecedented box office success of Kane Parsons’ Backrooms adaptation, you’ve likely already seen the liminal horror hit that managed to make audiences afraid of empty hallways and bad wallpaper. And now that so many of us have already entered the yellow labyrinth (some of us more than once), the time has come to discuss the spoiler-filled details that make the movie so fascinating in the first place.
And if there’s one element here that makes the Backrooms movie stand out from any previous lore/mythology, it has to be the genius addition of the Still Life entities. Warped recreations of real people that somehow wandered into the Complex, these misremembered creatures are responsible for some of the most disturbing imagery of 2026 – as well as laugh-out-loud memes created by one of the film’s very own concept artists.
However, true to Parsons’ word that the movie would rely heavily on practical effects, each of these distorted monsters was brought to life by real actors under heavy layers of makeup and prosthetics (with the occasional splash of CGI enhancements). While Anora and If I Had Legs I’d Kick You actress Ivy Wolk wasn’t among these performers, despite what Letterboxd might have you believe, the creature cast did benefit from veteran players with plenty of genre experience.
For starters, Alien: Romulus alumni Robert Bobroczkyi (who previously brought that film’s horrific Offspring to life during its most memorable sequence) plays the flick’s main antagonist, the Still Life version of Captain Clark. And though there was some obvious CGI involved in making the character’s peg-leg and nightmarish face more believable, Bobroczkyi’s monstrous performance and his natural 7’7″ frame helped to make that final chase sequence a clear highlight among this year’s genre offerings.
The film’s Texas-Chain-Saw-inspired “dinner” scene also features a freaky collection of less-aggressive Still Life creatures in the form of the Bearded Man, the Red-Headed Woman and, strangest of them all, the cheekily named “Archibald Leland Sutter Still Life” (who earned this title among fans and crewmembers as a reference to his apparent affinity for lamps).
While this was the first major horror outing for both Patrick Baynham (The Bearded Man) and Dana Mahmood (Archibald), Rhiannon Roberts has worked as a stunt performer in everything from Yellowjackets to HBO’s The Last of Us adaptation – which is probably why The Red-Headed Woman is the most active out of Clark’s impromptu “family.” That being said, the Archibald Leland Sutter Still Life is my personal favorite of the bunch simply because his anachronistic outfit suggests that the Backrooms phenomenon might be a lot older than the Async Foundation. I also love how hard he tries to be helpful with that little light of his!
That might be it for the Still Life entities, but I think horror fans will also be pleased to hear that the film’s Found Footage prologue stars none other than Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City star Avan Jogia as Naren Warne – and American Mary herself Katharine Isabelle also shows up in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo at Mary’s house party towards the middle of the story (though I have a feeling that she originally had a bigger part that was likely cut for time).
At the end of the day, Parsons’ Backrooms may have been an auteur-driven project motivated by the young director’s unique take on the classic creepypasta, but film has always been a collective artform, so it’s fun to see just how many talented performers it takes to bring this kind of supernatural nightmare to life in a way that connects with so many people.
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