“I tried my best to make good movies and music. That’s all I can do. But everything after that, what it means to others, is not on me. If it means something to you, that’s just great.”
If you’re going to get someone to narrate a documentary about synth music, well, let’s just say there’s nobody better than John Carpenter. The horror master’s music directly inspired the Synthwave movement that’s recently gained a whole lot of steam thanks to Netflix’s “Stranger Things,” and indeed Carpenter himself is narrating a documentary on the subject.
With festivals cancelled across the globe due to the current crisis, the producers of the documentary The Rise of the Synths decided to offer fans a chance to watch the film online.
On May 29th and for 24 hours only, the film will be available to stream alongside a host of other exclusive and interactive events for ticket holders to the online Synthrider Festival.
“The Synthrider Festival is your chance to go back and enjoy everything that was great about the 80s and to collectively celebrate the wonderful world of Synthwave!”
Iván Castell’s The Rise of the Synths explores the roots of the now break-out Synthwave scene, charting its humble online and underground beginnings to its impact on today’s pop culture. So what is Synthwave? An irresistible blend of nostalgia and music; of creative processes and cultural references; of re-appropriation and legitimate creation.
Is it a random revival or lasting cultural phenomenon?
On May 29th at 7pm CET (1pm ET, 10am PST), the film will be available in Vimeo On Demand for 24 hours. After that, on Saturday, May 30th at 8pm CET, there will be a special interactive Q&A hosted by Vehlinggo and special guests: director Iván Castell, OGRE (UK) and Mecha Maiko (Canada). More events and participants will be announced soon.
Check out a BD Exclusive teaser clip below, along with the official trailer.
