Alone 1980 : Portal

I’m always excited when there’s new Alone 1980 music to get lost in. The Sweden-based electronic artist has taken the world of imagined soundtracks and elevated it. What started out as a genre influenced and inspired by the sleazy synth world that scored so many b-movie exploitation horror films from the 70s and 80s(many of which you can find on Tubi these days), Alone 1980 has allowed it to rise to the level of high art. His music has all the hallmarks of those classic scores; woozy synths, Synsonics-esque drumbeats, and a level of menace that would even creep out a final girl. But it’s more than just nostalgia.

Alone 1980 makes the sort of eerie vibe music that keeps you engaged; whether it would be scoring some 80s Betamax rental or just listening on an overcast fall afternoon. The sonic menace is real, yet there’s touches of light in-between as well. Albums like Sleepwalker, Humanity, Street Trash From Outer Space, and his most recent Blood Ritual contain equal moments of heavy synth doom and moments of sonic bliss. The ying and yang of life, if you will.

We now have Portal, a cavernous, dread-fueled trip into cosmic horror and supernatural whispers. The works of Wojciech Golczewski and Disasterpeace come to mind listening to Alone 1980s latest, and I’m here for it.

You feel transported listening to Portal. It’s a musical funhouse of existential dread. A menace emanates from the album, giving vibes of early psychedelic 60s, midnight movie showings of the 70s, and the synth-y overindulgence of the 80s. “Blood Curse” is all Gothic dread and Hammer Films-centric. Organ taps a melancholy melody out while analog synths add a touch of Plan 9 From Outer Space. “Collapse” is the opposite as it brings to mind the classic Tangerine Dream cues from The Keep. Bubbling synths sit just under the surface, giving everything a disturbing solitude. “Mountain Passage” wavers in humid tones, while “Dark Mind, Bright Night” has a driving rhythm and lighter feels.

Elsewhere “Body Count” wavers in chilly vibes, while “Ice Pick” seeps pure dread bringing to mind Slasher Film Festival Strategy’s excellent Wet Leather. And title track “Portal” is an ominous and ethereal way to close things out.

We’re getting closer and closer to October, which means falling leaves, chilly temps, and overcast skies. Portal will be your go-to soundtrack for those Autumn walks.