Picture this: Desert Arizona in 1995. Mega Lan was introduced just two years prior. The hype for this new interconnected digital world led to its economic collapse. The value of data to society has skyrocketed. To have data is to have gold. This is the backdrop to Waveshaper’s EP – The Disk Hunter.
The cover art for The Disk Hunter tells the story of the album. The disk hunter himself stands with 3-1/2 inch floppy disk in hand facing a diner situated in what looks like dusk in the desert. The surround is open and dry, and only an early 1980s hatchback with Waveshaper graffitied across its side sits waiting by the diner.
I was first introduced to Waveshaper on Lost Shapes (B-Sides), an album stacked from top to bottom with atmospheric synth lines. It remained in my 5-disc CD changer for a year. I have been following Waveshaper’s releases even since. The name “Waveshaper” captures the epitome of synthwave, eliciting images of bending oscillations through time. The Disk Hunter does just this.
the electroscape was fortunate enough to connect with Waveshaper to learn more about the inspiration and making of The Disk Hunter. The album was written in Sweden over the course of 2019. Waveshaper has produced a steady stream of releases since entering the synthwave scene. But the artist took a bit more time to develop The Disk Hunter, setting out to make a high quality EP while exploring new musical elements to integrate into the album.
The Disk Hunter has a different type of theme relative to prior Waveshaper albums, which often played on outer space themes. The artist wanted another type of story to “boost creativity.” Waveshaper said “for an EP you also have a little bit more room for elaboration since it is fewer tracks and you have a little bit more room for experimentation.” This experimentation is a prominent feature of The Disk Hunter.
The album opens with the title track. We first hear the sounds of crickets and ominous footsteps, yielding visions of stealth under cover of night. The dial-up modem sets the historical period during which the story unfolds. An almost future funk bass line kicks in with an elastic texture that periodically resurfaces throughout the album, creating a thematic quality throughout. Waveshaper structured the songs on The Disk Hunter with numerous twists and turns, never leading you where you are going, just leaving you in a new place. Around every corner, Waveshaper introduces new textures, beats, and tantalizing synth lines.
“Client” follows the title track. The song begins with a blast of video game-related sounds reminiscent of classic Atari, such as Spider Fighter or Space Invaders, along with a tight, thumping beat. I first noticed a rhythmic vibration of the synth lines in “Client,” coming in just after the one minute mark, raising the emotional tone and drama of the album, a feature re-visited in subsequent tracks.
The more I listen to the album, the more the nuances of each song start to come alive. One quality of The Disk Hunter I especially like is it feels very open, much like the desert scene depicted on the cover. Waveshaper created a space for all the layers to work together, letting each piece play its part to the fullest.
The backdrop for The Disk Hunter led Waveshaper to use different synthesizers and drum machines than in the past, such as the ARP 2600 for techno and electronic elements. Waveshaper also used a newly acquired LinnDrum machine on the album. I was struck by the relentless drum beat “Victory” opens with. The synth lines throughout “Victory” tell their own story.
The LinnDrum is also featured on “Milkshake Megabyte” where the beat was recorded straight off a single track, a rare occurance. “Milkshake Megabyte” has a gnarly bass line and the rhythms have a strong electric energy. There is also a warmth, a dryness, and a natural feel to some of the percussion elements and lead synth lines that showcase Waveshaper’s technical skill and also fit perfectly with the desert depicted on the cover. The picture to the right shows a look Waveshaper’s home studio, including synthesizers and drum machine.
The Disk Hunter has also been released on vinyl. Interest in vinyl started percolating a good decade ago or more, and an increasing number of synthwave artists are releasing their albums on vinyl as well. Waveshaper has been collecting vinyl from several genres for some time, including synthwave. Waveshaper recognizes people love vinyl for different reasons, noting some people want vinyl for the listening experience and some people like the physical item and the larger artwork. The artwork displayed across the inside of the vinyl edition of The Disk Hunter is shown below, giving the listener an inside look at the mysterious diner on the front cover and the workings of the disk hunter himself.
I greatly enjoyed the linkage between the artwork and music. This link was intentional. The artwork was done by Lakeebs, who initially impressed Waveshaper with strong emotion in the artist’s sketches. The artist then used the story about The Disk Hunter and listening of a few tracks to develop the cover.
Synthwave fans have much to look forward to from Waveshaper. The artist is lining up some exciting collaborations. Synthwave has a strong and growing base, keeping interest in new releases high. In the meantime, spin The Disk Hunter on vinyl or listen to the digital release. Just be sure to play it loud.