D.A.L.I., a new synthwave project from synth musician Deadly Avenger and visual artist Luke Insect, will be well received by fans of “classic” synthwave when Burning Witches Records releases debut When Haro Met Sally on Friday. But why wait? Today, you get a taste of the record with the premiere of “Sunset on Overland Drive” from Haro.
D.A.L.I. take the sunny retrosynth of Miami Nights 1984 out of Florida and out of cars, and places it in Southern California BMX parks — same year, though. Paired with the electro and hip-hop sensibilities of Deadly Avenger’s background, what you get is a robust and compelling take on synthwave, outrun, and Italo Disco revivalism. Check it out below:
Deadly Avenger (AKA Damon Baxter) teased this project on the June episode of The Vehlinggo Podcast. Check it out.
Del Mar Skate Park, California — Summer 1984
It’s important to note that neither Deadly Avenger nor Luke Insect were riding their BMX bikes in California in the mid-80s — both are from the UK — but the cultural aesthetic and over subculture were a huge influence on them. See the press release from below for details:
DEADLY AVENGER & LUKE INSECT present ‘WHEN HARO MET SALLY’ Del Mar Skate Park, California, Summer ’84. Blinding sun hits chrome sending rainbow prisms across hot asphalt. There’s a buzz in the air. Teenage dreams and dope smoke mix with the Pacific breeze. Boy meets girl. Girl meets boy. This summer’s never gonna end. Tricks are being pulled and moves are being made that these crowds have never seen. Even the wood-pushers are blown away. Seeds sewn a decade ago by Todd and Devin Banks on Overland Drive have come to fruition.
Dominguez is up next, he’s 15, and hitting 6 feet of air. Then it’s Gonzalez. And Vanderspek. This is going down in history. Except this isn’t the West Coast of America. And the sun’s not shining. These are the grey suburbs of Leicester and London. And our BMXs are shit.
WHEN HARO MET SALLY is the soundtrack to one seemingly endless summer, when teenage heartbreak ruled supreme, everything American seemed cool, and all we did from dawn ’til dusk was dream about girls and ride our bikes Spanning early 1980s VHS soundtracks, teenage electro, heartbreak synths and Italo Disco, WHEN HARO MET SALLY will transport you back to that endless sun-baked teenage summer… that none of us ever had.
Out on Burning Witches Records on July 27, 2018 on sunshine yellow vinyl and cassette. And digital, of course.
