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Video games such as Sonic the Hedgehog and Ecco the Dolphin so defined a generation of gamers that their influences are spread far and wide. Most recently, the nostalgia of these cartridge classics finds itself in Ecco Funk, the upcoming EP from Tokyo synth outfit CRYSTAL.

Appearing on FLAU once again to showcase their frenetic brand of bubbling drum machine beats and eclectic synthwork, CRYSTAL have not only dipped into the watery world of Ecco the Dolphin to seek inspiration, but the work of William Gibson (specifically his 1981 short story Johnny Mnemonic) to carve out a liquid world of their own in a retro-futuristic cyberspace.

The cetacean influences kick off with the title track, complete with dolphin-esque bursts of high-pitched sound and columns of effortless bass groove. ‘Ecco Funk’ is interspersed with suitably funky splashes of keyboard solos among its lyrics that express a desire to once again play the Sega Megadrive classic. Disco bass tumbles through the galloping rhythm of ‘Do It Again’, a journey of sounds that leans towards Yellow Magic Orchestra-level atmospherics.

Juddering beats fuel the angular ‘Genesis Jam’ — another nod to the EP’s retro reminiscence — its soft dramatic chord sections contrasting with its fizzing selection of acid synths, and all founded on tracts of acrobatic bass. Ecco Funk ends with closing track ‘Crystal Gates’, fluttering to the finish with intense woozy synths and suitably crystalline melodies echoing in space.

CRYSTAL’s latest EP reaffirms the dedication of the synth duo to not only sounds, but worlds of the past. 16-bit consoles may be long gone but — taking influences from as far and wide as Joe Hisaishi, Zoolook-era Jean-Michel Jarre and Herbie Hancock — Ecco Funk breathes vital life into nostalgia through this fresh take on the golden age of synthesisers.

Tokyo based record label
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