Raindancer – Phoenix (Lebenskraft Remix)

“Raindancer announces Phoenix, the first single from our upcoming album. The release includes remixes by Blume and Lebenskraft together with the “B-Side” 1984.” – Raindancer

Now available on a Streaming Service near you:

Lebenskraft Remix of Phoenix, the latest single by Raindancer taken from their upcoming album due in 2021.

Lebenskraft’s journey across the genres is now complete, and we are firmly back on Future Pop ground.

Enjoy!

Link to Phoenix (Lebenskraft Remix) on Spotify
Link to Phoenix (Lebenskraft Remix) on Apple Music
Link to Phoenix (Lebenskraft Remix) on YouTube
Link to Phoenix (Lebenskraft Remix) on Bandcamp

Demoscene the Amiga Years Volume 1 1984-1993

“Demoscene the Amiga years reflects the making of the best demos as well as the history of the most emblematic and best known groups of the demoscene. ” – Editions 64K

Christophe Boucourt of Editions 64K recently dropped this beautiful work of art and significant historical document. The quality of the print, paper and assembly is fantastic. The combination of the tactile feedback from the book’s texture, the intense smell of a freshly cut and glued hard copy book and considering the gorgeous pictures and legendary content from all those Amiga demos I grew up with and loved made my heart race.

So much more than merely a book, it’s an experience of nostalgia and pride.
A historical document of the Pioneers of Multimedia.

When I first ordered the book I had no idea I was featured in it, but for some reason I am represented across two pages with something resembling an interview and some pictures. I am honored and humbled to be in the same book as my childhood legends.

This book comes highly recommended.

Go buy it!

Link to purchase the book from the publisher Editions 64K
Link to the publisher Editions 64K

3/7 00:00 DJ act: Danko aka Lebenskraft – Scherben Mega Mix

“Danko aka Lebenskraft will throw together a Mega Mix of his latest EP, Scherben. Featuring tracks by Wiklund, Mattias Brian and Dyrgrip among many others.” – Edison 2020

Updated: Watch the DJ set stream here, recorded by Scenesat Radio

On Friday the 3rd of July at midnight 00:00 I will perform a DJ set at the Edison 2020 event. The plan is to pull off a half hour long Mega Mix with assorted material and remixes from my latest EP, Lebenskraft – Scherben .

This year the annual institution that is Edison will take place online due to the ongoing pandemic. Previously I usually attended the physical event where I submitted music and demos for the various competitions. Edison is the largest old school*-only *computer event in Sweden.

Enjoy!

Link to Edison Party Website
Link to Edison Event on Facebook
Link to Lebenskraft on Facebook
Link to Lebenskraft Scherben on Spotify

The 8-Bit Guy – Tech from Texas Part 2: Midway, DeLorean, Compaq, NASA

“David these episodes are fantastic!! Cruising around state, cool background music and all these amazing historical facts.. this is going to be a priceless tech documentary!” – Lazer Hawk on YouTube

Some of my music can be heard in the latest episode by Internet fame The 8-Bit Guy .

A while ago I found the YouTube channel and started binging through the entire backlog because it touches on several interests of mine such as vintage 8-bit computers, old keyboards and synthesizers as well as the ubiquitous Commodore C64.

Long story short, I thought it might be fun to hear my own music in the background for an episode or two since some of it would be a great fit in style so I made some music and sent it to David who runs the channel. He happened to like it and the next thing my music appeared in an episode shortly thereafter.

The track in question was made using the original sounds from 1980's drum machines such as Roland TR-505 and TR-626 as well as synthetic instruments from the Commodore C64 and the Nintendo NES sound chip.

Link to the Episode on YouTube
Link to The 8-Bit Guy YouTube Channel
Link to The 8-Bit Guy Website

Wiklund – Decade

“The album/EP is called Decade because it’s been 10 years since i released my first album. I hope it was worth the wait. I’m very lucky that the amazing Mizucat was able to make this beautiful cover art for me. The album was mastered by one of my C64/video game heroes, Tomas Danko.” – Wiklund

The Swedish electronic music artist Wiklund has released what will probably be his last chip music record after ten years of touring the world with his Gameboy. I am credited for mastering both the vinyl- as well as digital releases.

The vinyl release of Decade sold out in 24 hours, there will however be newly pressed records for sale in addition to the digital release of the EP.

It is not every day someone ask you to master a vinyl album, so this was a real treat getting to dig up my usually deprecated knowledge regarding analog mastering, elliptical equalizers and the loudness aesthetics of yesteryear.

Furthermore it is also hard to believe all the tracks were made using only a Gameboy and nothing more

We’ve obviously come a long way since Super Mario.

Enjoy!

Link to Wiklund Decade on Bandcamp
Link to Wiklund on Spotify
Link to Wiklund on SoundCloud
Link to Wiklund on Facebook

Lebenskraft – Scherben

“The term Lebenskraft was coined by the physician and botanist Friedrich Casimir Medicus (1736-1808) and gained widespread use in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. German scientists – […] demonstrated a firm belief in a vital, organicist, unifying life force.” – John A. McCarthy

Lebenskraft is my new Electronic Music Project.

It begins with the release of Scherben , a Remix EP consisting of twelve tracks spanning over 51 minutes featuring talented remix artists such as Dyrgrip, Wiklund, Mattias Brian as well as remixes by other music artists including Connection Closed and Kilbuck.

Besides having written and produced the title- and bonus tracks, I have also made one remix (Zeitgeist Ficken Remix ), mixed several of the other remixes and mastered the entire album.

Lebenskraft can be whatever I set it out to be, with different collaborations from different vocalists and artists each and every time. The only known direction for the future of Lebenskraft is that you can expect it to move heavily towards Future Pop, away from the current Psytrance influenced beat.

Enjoy!

Link to Lebenskraft Scherben on Spotify
Link to Lebenskraft Scherben on Apple Music
Link to Lebenskraft on Facebook

Kilbuck – Blackened Feathers

“I wanted to thank you specifically, both for the obvious – your mixing, mastering and your remix – but also for helping me find a direction and identity in this endeavor. [My daughter] may have been the inspiration to make the song, but you helped sculpt it into reality, and make my childhood dream, part 2, real.” – Kilbuck

The Danish electronic music artist Kilbuck has released the first single under his real name, I am credited for producing, mixing, remixing and mastering the original track.

In addition to this, I have also delivered a psytrance remix as Psycophant.

1. Blackened Feathers
2. Blackened Feathers (Psycophant Remix)

Kilbuck has a discography as remixer under various obscure aliases the past few years, often treading into unusual genres of the darker kind. This is the first time he let his inner voice come out, and the result is a modern future pop take with a nod towards New Order if you ask me.

We have collaborated on numerous records already, and first got to know each other through the production of the late KeX3 remix projects.

Enjoy!

Link to Kilbuck Blackened Feathers on Spotify
Link to Kilbuck Blackened Feathers on Apple Music

The Sound of SceneSat, Vol. 5

“8-Bit Boys. We make the hits. We’ll make you party like it’s 1986.” – SAM, 8-Bit Boys

To celebrate the ten year anniversary of SceneSat Radio they have released their fifth compilation album, The Sound of SceneSat, Vol. 5 . I am featured with a track, Danko – 8-Bit Boys .

It is an honor to find myself among such great musicians, not to mention legends such as Jogeir Liljedahl, Mark ‘TDK’ Knight, and Jeroen Tel.

Danko – 8-Bit Boys (3:15)

“What if there was a boy band in 1986 consisting of only digitally created virtual band members?”

8-Bit Boys is the answer to that question.

All rap and vocals were rendered using speech synthesis software from the 80’s (rap by [SAM Reciter] on the Commodore C64, as an example) and vocoders.

All drum sounds were created from data digitally extracted from the old Roland TR-505, TR-626 and TR-707 drum machines from the 80’s that nobody used after that era as opposed to the legendary and ubiquitous TR-909 and TR-808.

FM synthesis as found in the otherwise unloved Yamaha DX7 digital additive synthesizer and of course sounds from the 6581 SID sound chip in the Commodore C64 make up the rest of the sound scape.

Enjoy!

Link to 8-Bit Boys on Spotify
Link to 8-Bit Boys on Apple Music
Link to The Sound of SceneSat, Vol. 5 on Spotify
Link to The Sound of SceneSat, Vol. 5 on iTunes
Link to The Sound of SceneSat, Vol. 5 on Bandcamp
Link to SceneSat Radio

Rebentisch Kindertotenlied – Psycophant & Danko Remixes

“Mein Song 2018 <3" - Andrea Gutsch

My Psycophant remix made it to fourth place on the yearly charts 2018 at both the Synthesize Me radio show on Israeli radio station Radio Plus as well as German underground radio station No Rest

What blows my mind is that the track finished two positions above VNV Nation – When is the Future , the group that in my opinion have written the best song on the planet; VNV Nation – Gratitude

There will most likely be a sequel to my collaboration with Rebentisch

Stay tuned.

Kindertotenlied Psycophant Trauer Ist Tanzbar Radio Cut (3:55)

Enjoy!

Link to Radio Plus Synthesize Me Website
Link to No Rest Radio Website
Link to Rebentisch Kindertotenlied on iTunes
Link to Rebentisch Kindertotenlied on Spotify
Link to Rebentisch Website

Rebentisch Kindertotenlied – Psycophant & Danko Remixes

“This is by far – with distance – the hottest, which I have been sent or heard this year! A real milestone! A masterpiece.” – Undisclosed German Radio Host DJ

Now you can listen to my latest release on Spotify , Apple Music & iTunes and many other places and radio stations.

Kindertotenlied is a collaboration with the Berlin based legendary gothic dark wave artist Rebentisch and myself.

Psycophant is my psytrance alias and I made two danceable remixes of Kindertotenlied for Rebentisch.
In addition to this I also recorded a one-shot live take with myself playing the piano as a third bonus track.

Kindertotenlied

1. Kindertotenlied – Psycophant Trauer Ist Tanzbar Remix (7:14)
2. Kindertotenlied – Psycophant Trauer Ist Tanzbar Radio Cut (3:55)
3. Kindertotenlied – Danko Trauer Ist Tanzlos (Piano) (2:47)

Friedrich Rückert (1788-1866) was the co-founder of German Orientalism. In 1833 and 1834 he wrote 428 poems, Kindertotenlieder, touching on the early death of his two children. These lyrics were caringly taken into conduct by Sven Rebentisch, singing them with his fantastically emotional voice. Later on, I produced these remixes to match his vocals.

Background Story

This is where it gets synchronistic.

A while ago I was approached by my dear friend and brother Kenneth “Slaygon” Mutka of SlayRadio sharing a link to an article in German. It turns out someone had stolen my old 1990’s classic C64 song Plasticpop , or to be more precise stolen a remix of the same by Apollo2K and claimed it to be his own.

The imposter, Dirk ‘T.D.D.’ Loosen (he recently changed his alias to Worker for some reason), simply took the Plasticpop remix by Apollo2K, put some vocals from Rebentisch on top and called it his own. Rebentisch himself had nothing to do with this and was the real victim here as far as I’m concerned.

Instead of taking legal action towards anyone I approached Sven Rebentisch and suggested we turn this whole sad ordeal into something positive and productive. Said and done, we ended up doing Kindertotenlied together and now you can listen to it on some 40+ radio stations and the streaming service of your choice.

This has been some of the most music production fun I’ve had in years. Sven and myself clicked like nobody’s business, expect a lot more collaboration where this one came from…

Enjoy!

Link to Rebentisch Kindertotenlied on iTunes
Link to Rebentisch Kindertotenlied on Spotify
Link to Rebentisch Website
Link to Article [German] about stolen remix at Nerds & Geeks
Link to vlog [German] about stolen remix on YouTube
Link to original Plasticpop C64 song on Oakvalley

Psycophant vs Starchild in Videoland Returns

“Vi går tillbaka till rötterna för att hitta det ursprungliga Birdie. Och vad är mer Birdie än Starchild, TV-spelsmusik och grym untz untz?” – Birdie

My performance last year at Syntax Error was a lot of fun, and one thing lead to another…

There will be one more DJ-set performed by yours truly at Birdie 28 on 11th of May at the IFU Arena in Uppsala in front of around 1300 people.

Expect a concoction of 8-bit nostalgia and e-sport anthems all beat-matched with psytrance tracks from Psycophant and happy hardcore rave classics from Starchild including previously unreleased material.

Renowned Guest VJ Burre of TAONGAD will remix my beats on the gigantic cinema screen for visual stimulation.

Link to DJ-set Event at Birdie
Link to Book Tickets
Link to Birdie Website
Link to Starchild on Spotify
Link to Starchild on Apple Music/iTunes
Link to Psycophant on Spotify
Link to Psycophant on Apple Music/iTunes

KeX3 Challenger Remix Album

“The crew of the space shuttle Challenger honored us by the manner in which they lived their lives. We will never forget them, nor the last time we saw them, this morning, as they prepared for their journey and waved goodbye and ‘slipped the surly bonds of earth’ to ‘touch the face of God.’” – President Ronald Reagan

The late electronic Music artist Björn ‘KeX3’ Gustafsson published a single to appear shortly after his suicide on the 25th of May in 2017. I discovered this when salvaging data from his computer that I inherited. There was also a remix kit prepared on his Dropbox, so I decided to gather his friends and produce a memorial remix album together.

The original single was called Challenger, a track within the synthwave genre with some amazing harmonies and a catchy hook including the legendary Address to the Nation speech by President Ronald Reagan.

Björn “KeX3” Gustafsson Memorial Tribute

This Remix Album was realised as a collaboration effort by seven artists resulting in a total of 14 tracks spanning through a wide spectra of musical styles and interpretations of the original track.

The following people that participated on the album I want to thank with all my heart. It means the world to everyone in close proximity to KeX3, myself included, that you rose to the challenge and so generously made such great music based on Challenger.

Mattias Brian
K-Line
Razorblade Rosary
Fegolhuzz
Ziona
Pango

Thank you all.

Besides being credited for producing, mastering and publishing the album, I also contributed with two tracks of my own (Psycophant – Challenger (Touch the Face of God Remix) , Danko – Challenger (State of the Union Remake) ) and mixed four tracks by other artists.

Link to album on Spotify
Link to album on Apple Music/iTunes
Link to KeX3 Page on Facebook

KeX3 – Passages

“I needed an album cover for Passages and started thinking about related images. Eventually I googled certain keywords that came to mind and found an image bank where I did a search. Among 40 pictures, a particular one felt like the right choice. Then I decided to search through KeX3’s computer one more time and found a file called ‘Passages Cover’. It was the very same image that I had found online just minutes ago.” – Your’s Truly

Electronic Music artist Björn ‘KeX3’ Gustafsson ended his life last year. His weapon of choice was an overdose on medication. In order to gather enough to succeed beyond all doubt he stopped taking his medication over a period of several weeks. As a consequence he became hypomanic and did not sleep during the nights.

Instead, he spent that time working on his very last album:

Passages

Passages is an Electronic Ambient full length album. It’s concept sprung from our previous album collaboration, Songs From the Asylum . KeX3 had found a way to create ambient soundscapes in a very efficient manner. Together we iterated on that process and I acted as producer by collaborating on the first proof of concept tracks. I am credited for producing and publishing the album.

It is clear by listening to Passages that KeX3 was at ease and very happy for once. In hindsight it was obvious that his decision to end life made him relaxed and pleased with his remaining time on earth. The harmonies and soundscapes on the album are more than anything filled with emotional warmth, hope and an uplifting sense of longing.

I am truly happy to know that his last month spent on this planet was all happy and positive. Passages is the proof ot that.

As part of taking the role of curator for all unreleased material KeX3 left behind, it makes me glad to be able to finalise and publish Passages so that his family and friends can get to feel what I did:

Björn was in a good place at the end of his journey.

Rest in peace, Björn. I miss you.

Link to Passages Album on Spotify
Link to Passages Album on Apple Music/iTunes
Link to KeX3’s previous Album Songs From the Asylum
Link to KeX3’s previous Album Remixes From the Asylum

Feliz Navidad

“Very nice and super cute song.” – iAN CooG

Today, on Christmas Eve, all of us in Fairlight wish all of You a Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukkah, Festivus for the rest of us. And Feliz Navidad.

Of course our christmas card is a Commodore C64 demo. I am credited for the music. Unless I am mistaken, this is the first time Feliz Navidad was ever made on the C64 which is peculiar since there are some 70 000 songs made including every other holiday song one can imagine.

Watch the demo on YouTube

Enjoy!

Link to Feliz Navidad C64 demo on CSDB
Ling to Feliz Navidad C64 demo on YouTube
Link to Feliz Navidad C64 song as M4A file

Achtung - Monday with Der Danko!

“…you can expect the usual show with the special guest star Danko, who did lots, LOTS of SIDs and also he is a professional producer since the ’90s. Nowadays he is a member of the Fairlight demogroup as well.” – Slaygon, SlayRadio

On the late evening of Monday the 11th of December, I was featured in a long and in-depth personal interview over at the legendary Web-Radio Station SlayRadio.org

You can download the archived interview in mp3 format here

As expected we discussed the usual topics such as Commodore 64-, Amiga music and demos, video game production, sound design and such but also beer brewing, DJ-ing and life in general. There was all sorts of music broadcasted both made by me but more importantly made by those who inspired me profoundly throughout life.

The show started 20:00 USRT, however I appeared around 21:00. Until then they did play my original music, other artist’s remixes of the same while saying odd things about your’s truly.

Link to archived interview
Link to SlayRadio
Link to Facebook Event

Psycophant vs Starchild in Videoland

“Look at the stars and you’ll see that it’s real…” – Starchild

This was eventually bound to happen, and so now it will.

I’m bringing back Starchild.

There will be a DJ-set performed by yours truly at Syntax Error on 30th of September in Stockholm.

Expect a lot of 8-bit nostalgia all beat-matched with psytrance tracks from Psycophant and happy hardcore rave anthems from Starchild including previously unreleased material. A Guest VJ will remix my beats on the screens for visual stimulation.

Link to DJ-set Event on Facebook
Link to Starchild on Spotify
Link to Starchild on Apple Music/iTunes
Link to Psycophant on Spotify
Link to Psycophant on Apple Music/iTunes

Har Allt Någon Mening – PC Demo by Fairlight

“Good demo, but the vote definitely goes to the soundtrack :)” – Alpha C

I used to be a regular contender at the Edison oldskool party every year. Last year was a bit of a grand slam where I won a ridiculous amount of awards in collaboration with a lot of friends, which was pretty much my way to thank Edison and move on with other things in life.

This year Fairlight released a PC Demo which ended up getting the silver medal. As a proud member of Fairlight I was credited for the music, which was made entirely using old analog & digital synthesizers (Roland JX8P, Yamaha TX81Z), effect units (Lexicon PCM70) and drum machines (Roland TR909) from the 1980’s.

You can find the song in MP3 format here .

Har Allt Någon Mening PC Demo by Fairlight - I made the music

Enjoy!

Link to Mening by Fairlight on YouTube
Link to Mening PC Demo by Fairlight on Pouët
Link to Mening Song MP3
Link to Edison 2017 Competition Results on Pouët
Link to Edison website

27th Birdie Event

“Starchild är fortfarande en klassiker som spelas minst en gång i timmen känns det som.” – Safik Eskobar, Flashback, on Starchild at Birdie

My song Starchild is featured in the Birdie 27 Aftermovie released in June 2017.

Birdie is the oldest still active Computer LAN/Gaming*- and *Scene Event in Sweden, taking place annually in Uppsala since 1992. Thousands of gamers and computer nerds attend the event.

Turns out there is a traditional thing at Birdie the last twenty years or so where they play the song Starchild at the opening ceremony as well as in the mornings to wake up all overnight visitors in time for breakfast.

Starchild is a Happy Hardcore Rave-song that I made and released around 1995, later to become somewhat of an anthem in the rave scene and apparently elsewhere.

Link to Birdie 27 Aftermovie on YouTube
Link to Birdie Website
Link to Birdie on Wikipedia)
Link to Starchild on Apple Music/iTunes
Link to Starchild on Spotify

KeX3 – Songs from the Asylum

“Last autumn I was about to end my life, but I was caught by the police. As a result of that, I was incarcerated in an asylum for several weeks. This album is the output of the creative avalanche that crashed upon me.” – KeX3

Electronic Music artist KeX3 have released an album featuring twenty very eclectic tracks. The reason for this was that he in fact composed the entire album while being locked up in an asylum. I visited this very sterile environment and he had spent some of the idle time dabbling about with music on his laptop. I approached him with the suggestion to make it into a full length album and that I could help out.

This came to be one of the most interesting and rewarding music projects that I have experienced, but above all. Out of this collaboration came to be one of the most beautiful and meaningful friendships that I have and cherish.

I am credited for producing, mixing and mastering the album.

Enjoy!

Update

Björn “KeX3” Gustafsson finally succeeded in committing suicide on the 25th of May.
He is no longer with us but I will curate and manage the legacy that is all the music he made that has yet to be published.

Link to Songs from the Asylum Album on Spotify
Link to Songs from the Asylum Album on iTunes/Apple Music
Link to Songs from the Asylum Website
Link to KeX3 Page on Facebook

KeX3 – Remixes from the Asylum

“Bucketloads of serious sitdance and soulful sensitivity. Made by some very talented people that we have had the pleasure of knowing and practicing Ljudo with.” – pROPER dISCO

Electronic Music artist KeX3 have released an EP featuring two single tracks and lots of remixes, for an upcoming album later this month but more about that one at a later stage. You can find the album release event here on Facebook.

I mastered the EP, made one of the remixes and mixed about half of the tracks. My remix, Tranquility Mix, is actually just me playing the piano, totally improvised and live in one single take. I didn’t even think about how to do it really, so it’s what it is blemishes and all.

Update

Björn “KeX3” Gustafsson finally succeeded in committing suicide on the 25th of May.
He is no longer with us but I will curate and manage the legacy that is all the music he made that has yet to be published.

Link to Remixes from the Asylum EP on Spotify
Link to Remixes from the Asylum EP on iTunes/Apple Music
Link to KeX3 Page on Facebook