Synthpop Symphony 310 Electropop Synthpop Synthwave Italo New Wave + Knight$ Boytronic Interview!

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New and classic synthpop, brand new DJ mixes, and an exclusive James Knight interview. Synth Pop Symphony starts now.

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You're listening to DJ Matt Williams, Los Angeles. Welcome to Synth Pop Symphony of Symphony. Playing the best new wave electric part, synth wave, guitar disco, and high-energy electronic dance music from the 80s to today. With your host, DJ Matt Williams. Your dance music Odyssey starts now.

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Welcome to Synth Pop Symphony, your home for the finest in new and classic synthpop. The music that moves you, the music you can sing to, and the music that transcends generations. Your symphony of synth, the past, the present, and the future, colliding every week as we reimagine the sound of synthpop. Happy New Year, everyone. I'm your host, Matt Williams, and tonight the show is super packed as we kick off the new year in style. Joining me in the studio tonight, I've got James Knights from the band Knights, who is also the new lead singer of the legendary band Voitronic since 2017. He's here to talk about his brand new album, Supernatural Lover. James and I will also be spinning some of his favorite artists of all time. Plus, we've got a special mini mix at the end of the interview featuring selections from his new album, along with some of his all-time favorite dance floor classics. We've also got tons of new and classic music lined up tonight, so don't go anywhere. From Darwin McDee in color theory to Peter Wilson leather strip and Carol Lee bringing some darker synth energy, plus a killer Mike Marine mega mix. Let's kick off the show and the new year. It's construction time again, and I built a brand new Depeche Mode mini mix, and it's ready right now, featuring expertly remixed versions of the Sun and the Rainfall. Boys say go, and I told you so. Let's get into it right now on Synth Pop Symphony episode three ten.

unknown 6:45

And I think that I have to show you. Voice me, voice it's ever. Voice me, voice it's forever.

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Don't say no, voice say go.

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This is Simp Bob Symphony Symphony I can run away if you never stay in the rain and the flame and the sorrow.

unknown 7:37

I'm not very sure when you don't know in the end in the same and follow.

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Don't say no, always say no.

unknown 8:33

This is in dream, and I think that I have to show you. Something went down along the way. So I said I would have sold just fire.

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Absolutely incredible work. Alright, next up is brand new music from Darwin McD and Huguenot with an absolutely beautiful Synth track called Birds Away. We haven't heard from these two guys in 2019. Followed up by the new Life Home Corporation track No Time. We played the inevitable version. And I guess they didn't know it was inevitable when I played this song. And then we're gonna throw it back with a true super classic that turned 40 years old here in the US, the 40th anniversary version of Headshot Boys and West End Girls. Turn it up, folks. You're listening to Synth Pop Symphony.

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The best new electronic dance music, only on Synth Pop Symphony, hands in the ground, here in my garden.

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Somewhere in the back, where the skies can just relax. The thirds in the beams, the flowers in the trees, you find yourself next to me. Walking through the gate, dancing in the shade. I think you're in love with me. Watching summer go see when stay is something I have to say. Some things that you know, some things that I have to take to my grave. The birds and the bees, the flowers and the trees, you find yourself next to me. Walking through the gate, dancing in the shade. I think you're in love with me.

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I feel the second slip away. Another sunrise, another change. No time to dream, no time away. I'm always chasing, ever still. Life is running faster than my heartbeat. I'm chasing road and ever seek complete. Cancel down the world won't stay. I'm running, running through the day. But taking flight won't let me rest. I'm moving target and listen. I stretch my hands, but it's a header. A fleeting dream. I can't forget. No time to lose, no turning back. I'm only yet can leave the try. The future comes, the past is gone. I'll keep on running, I'll carry on. Life is running faster than my heart be. I'm running, running through the day through the day. When I fall behind, the moment takes from time. But I rise, arise again to race into the dark. Life is running faster than my heart beat. I'm chasing rose on LCO. No fears lie, no time to pray. I'm running, running, always running through the day.

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Experience the evolution of electronic dance music only on Synth Pop Symphony. Sooner or later, this happens to everyone.

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Sometimes you're better off dead. There's a gun in your hand that's pointing at your head. You think you're mad, too unstable, kicking in chairs and knocking down tables in a restaurant in a western town. Call the police as a madman around. Run down underground to a dying club in a West End town.

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Little Western town, the dead and world. The Eastern boys and Western gold. The Eastern boys and Western gold.

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Too many shows, whispering voices, faces on posters. Too many choices. If, when, why, what? How much have you got? Have you got it? You get it yourself? How often would you choose a hard or soft option?

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Little Western town, Den and Wall. The Eastern boys and Western. Little Western town walls. The Eastern boys and Western.

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Someone stands in every door, and if they speak, they break the law.

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Violence, religion, injustice, and death.

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Ask a question, blank faces, read the news and turn the pages. Watch them play a different game. And no one knows your name. You're out of luck, you must have been strong. No one knows your name. My heart is broken. You got a hunger glass or a hollow stone. Just you wait till I get to you home. Built to last in every city and every nation. From Lake Geneva to the Finland Station.

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That would be like people in 1986 listening to music from 1946. It really proves just how much New Wave shaped the modern music era. So much so that it didn't fade away, it stuck. And here we are, still celebrating this track and its influence on the global dance scene, which simply cannot be denied. We also heard brand new music from two artists who get heavy rotation here on the show. Lifelong corporation with the inevitable mix of no time. And the new Darwin McDee and Hugo Knot collaboration birds away. And Darwin tells me remixes are already planned, so definitely stay tuned for that. Next up is an artist I somehow left out of my end-of-year countdown, and honestly, I'm not sure why. Color theory, fronted by the incredibly talented Ryan Hazard, consistently dropped unexpected, sizzling dance tracks that just blew me away. So we're gonna play two tonight. First, the absolute bomb we dropped in 2025 with the last time. This was the Matt Manson remix. And then a track earlier for 2025, punching shadows with that unmistakable 80 cent sound that I know is about to become a new favorite of yours. And then we're gonna dive headfirst into that Mike Marine Mega Mix. So stay tuned right where you are. This is Sinpop Symphony.

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You're listening to Sinpop Symphony, where the beat is unstoppable.

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Like sleeping beneath the stars, holding my father's hand.

unknown 29:16

We in our life are enchanted if we take for granted something wine.

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We displaced our attention, it could be less time, but the wall and know that my dance time, but the wine spinning my dance time, but the woman even know it wasn't so long ago. I kissed my son good night. Next night I let him be, figured it'd be alright. We're all dying in pieces and deep increases. Gotta find my reach When I punch it, Shadows. But you don't understand me, understand me. When a punch and shadow, gotta find my fears, I'm not sure shadows, when it is Falling in love with a free strike, a heart that knew only darkness, suddenly life, growing into a new identity, and the man with a future set finally free. I protect my face, keep the weight on my toes, try to find my reach with a punching shadows, who is not your standards, try to find my tears, punching shadows for this way that I faith, keep the weight on my choice, try to find my reach when I'm punching shadows. That you don't understand me, understand me the only two I see the world my place within it. You know it's not my fault that I don't understand to understand. New music first on Synth Pop Symphony Mind your own business I won't tell you again That's what I'll say to anyone Anyhow, what, why or when We don't have to answer To the woman down the street To the old man at the corner store To whoever we should meet I would never dare to say that You're my guilty pleasure What's the sense you'll feel it should be It's a few my treasure Well gonna be Where the gonna be Where the gonna be My guilty Ford Up Where the gorge be?

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Where the gonna be Where the gonna be My Gold Up I have a message For anyone in doubt I don't have time for your opinion That's not what I'm about We don't have to answer When I take you by the hand We were walking down the avenue They don't have to understand I would never dare to say that You're my guilty pleasure What's the sense in feeling shame?

SPEAKER_09 38:24

It's something that I treasure gonna be, where they're gonna be, where it's gonna be my guilty pleasure, where it's gonna be, where it's gonna be, there we're gonna be my guilt to be I would never dare to say that you're my guilty pleasure. What's the sense you feeling shame? It's something that I treasure.

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Oh yeah, brand new Peter Wilson with guilty pleasure, and of course, he's working with the legendary Matt Pop, whose sound is completely unmistakable. We also heard two tracks from the incredible Color Theory, Chasing Shadows, and we kicked off the set with the last time. That was the Matt Manson remix. And if you're not already following Color Theory, you can find the project on all major streaming services, plus Band Camp and Patreon. It's absolutely worth your time. For this next set, we're heading into darker territories. This track was sent to me by Paul Thomas Bernard, one of our expert curators here on the show. First up is Caroline with Captain and the Straight Razor Mix Dark Driving and Intense. And we're gonna follow it up with something that's not so intense. The Mike Marine Powerplay mix featuring Love Spy, Agent of Liberty, and the famous Dancing in the Dark. We're also gonna be playing this another time in the show. We're gonna be doing the Dancing in the Dark 40th anniversary remix coming up in our ninth interview with a minimum. And we're gonna segue directly into our interview with James Knight. So don't go anywhere. It's coming up right after this event. But before we go there, how about we start with some ultravox?

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I thought I had it all.

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And took the step to find the low straight adventure I spoke to yours. It didn't mean that much to me. They're Iround my head, like empty true must hold me those green adventures Light side by side. It didn't mean that much to me you were starting to enjoy. I took it in my stride, and held the tea I tried. I thought I had all I do see the mystery.

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Playing the best electrode pop, synth pop, and the best remixes only on Synth Pop Symphony.

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Dream of you, oh, hearts of you, I frightened, all skills soft text, just like a gold out of bed, Captain Captain Dream of you, I've said so, hearts of you I tried to soft tail, just like a gold out of bed, that's it.

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The very best in high-energy dance music only on Synth Pop Symphony.

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That was the power play remix from Mike Marine from 1987. You know, I actually love that mega mix right up until Dancing in the Dark gets stapled onto the end and barely gets any runtime. I also don't like how the track drops to 125 BPM while the rest of the Mega Mix is cruising along at 130 BPM. I even griped about this on TikTok earlier this week. Before that, we heard from Carol Lee with Captain the Straight Razor remix, and then we kicked off the set with the Blank Jones remix of Love's Great Adventure by Ultravox. Alright, it's now time to get into our interview with James Knights from Knights and the new lead singer of the legendary Boytronic. Let's dive in. This is Synth Pop Symphony.

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Welcome to the Synth Pop Symphony interview series with James Knights. Only on Synth Pop Symphony.

SPEAKER_00 56:19

Welcome to the Synth Pop Symphony interview series. My guest today is James Knights, joining us from the UK, an artist whose project Knights consistently delivers some of the best pure synthpop dance music out there, infused with a distinctive Italo flair. James has just come off a six-date run in Germany as part of Andy Bell of Erasure's Ten Crowns Tour, bringing his sound to audiences across the country. He's also a featured remixer on Andy Bell's new Ten Crowns Jewels remix album, putting his own spin on Andy's work alongside legendary names like Vince Clark, Dave Aude, and Shiny Toy Guns. In addition to his own music, James has been lending his vocals as the lead singer of the iconic synthpop band Boy Tronic since 2017, adding a modern voice to one of genre's most respected legacies. James, it's a pleasure to have you here in the studio and welcome to Synth Pop Symphony.

SPEAKER_01 57:14

Hey James, for anyone hearing you for the first time, can you introduce yourself and give us a quick background on who you are and how Knights came to be?

SPEAKER_12 57:24

Well, yeah, my name is James Knight, and I've been making music for over 20 years now. I'm based in the UK. And yeah, I had a band called Scarlet Soho, which was my kind of first band in college. And that was really just a bunch of kids kind of playing around with drum machines and some cheap sense and just finding their way. I did that and made three albums. We we did three albums together. And when that ended, I had to have a little think of what I would do next. And I started night, which is the project coming now. Whilst I made the decision to begin that, I had a call from Voytronic also asking me if I'd like the thing with them, which I couldn't turn down because I loved I love the band. And I love Voytronic and all their things. It was a strange one coming out of one project two at the same time. I hope that I'm still here now.

SPEAKER_01 58:40

So when you got started, when when was the age where you really started getting into this music and who were your influences? Because you know every time I have people they're like, oh, I had like five major bands that really just took me down in the direction that I needed.

SPEAKER_12 58:53

Yeah, for me it was sort of a double whammy, I guess. Because my brother and sister are older than me. So around the age of five or six, they would play anything from all the way through to joy division. Also some of the other stuff you would hear like Halo Game and oh my god, Shannon and things like that. So when you're five or six, you you have no idea of what's cool and what's not cool and stuff. You just like you like what you like. And then I guess when I became a teenager, I moved into just listening to what my friends would listen to. So I think my my early theme was a lot of punk and heavy metal, and I guess like that coincided with grunge as well. And then there was this kind of strange time around the age of about 15, 17, I think, when I started to I started to revisit some of those records from when I was a child. But then I dug a little bit deeper and managed to find some other things like um I always remember Rage and Eden 5 being like a huge one. You know, I love that record. Things like magazine which weren't I think heavy, but I I was really into secondhand lay like that album. And then fast forward a little more, probably into my twenties, when I went to Germany for the first time, I started to hear a few German bands that I wouldn't hear in in England necessarily. And so that was stuff like Death, and also some people don't know them, but there's a band called the Twins that I that I really love from Germany. They're they're kind of more like a pure synth almost I guess like a German human league, something like that. Yeah, we play them all the time on our show actually. Yeah, yeah. I I I just I've I've got all the records of the twins. I I I'm c I'm still collecting them now. I don't know how many they must have, but I think they pressed everything to 7 inch, 12 inch, and so there's there's so many that I've found.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:06

So you okay, so you mentioned all these bands that you know influence you as you're growing up. So was there a specific song or moment where you were like, okay, this is the night sound, this is the sound that I like, and this is what I'm gonna kind of pursue going forward.

SPEAKER_12 1:01:19

For the early part of making music, so I would say the age of the age 16 to maybe 30, there was no not much direction, it was just trying things, you know, and then when night when I started night, I really wanted to try and find something that that allowed me to express myself and also find an act that I wasn't thinking of playing live, at least like in London and Germany, I wanted to recreate something that was maybe unpredictable, but not necessarily tough because I think there are a lot of acts that just go straight for the Jugular and say weird. And I like that, but I also wanted to be able to create other things, and I want it to be able to have fun with something, which I think some of us find it quite hard to do. But I just think some of the fun has gone out of the top a little bit sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:15

I would totally agree with you. I think that your music leans very much on the more italo side of things, which is a fun, really fun thing to be in, right? Italo for me is just really fun, and it kind of seems to have that really fun experience of the 80s where people were just kind of trying anything and just it wasn't as structured, it was a little more loose, I think. And so I noticed I got into you with a gelato. That was the first song I ever heard by you. Just incredible track, you know, just high energy, very italo. But then you started having a tallow remix or remixer tracks like Miracle Hirsch and Italo Connection, right? So those were incredible remixes, by the way, and those made their way into a lot of mixes on our show, and people like at Radio Stadenhag and other places were just going crazy over these remixes. So kind of give me an idea about that sound and and kind of is that kind of a sound you kind of fell into, or were you trying to have that sound?

SPEAKER_12 1:03:04

Or I think yes, yes and no, in a way. It it I think, yeah, I think visu visually I definitely wanted it to be something else. Like something other than a tallow, maybe. But I guess ultimately, you know, if if you need uh a job done and you need to get people on a dance floor.

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I'll be in the town. We're out of the town sweet on the heaven to touch sweet on it, beef, happy so much, and that's probably chocolate to heaven to hold, but your mother don't see who your daddy don't know.

SPEAKER_12 1:04:11

Then really, who who you gonna call? You know, it's it's it's people like Italo Connection and and Mirko Hirsch and because they I I found that sometimes like the hardest part of the process is mixing. But these guys they don't make it difficult, you know. So and and and and so if you give them the task, you're not sending files backwards and forwards for months, you know, trying to find this this magic formula. They know what to do.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:37

And like when people send stuff to pick Pete Hammond to remix, right? They know exactly what they're gonna get in advance, right?

SPEAKER_12 1:04:43

Yeah, yeah, and and and I needed that because because especially being being in England, you don't really come into contact with so many people that are doing this this kind of thing. Right. You know, and so trying to find people of a very high quality is life is pretty hard, you know.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:01

So when you sit down and write a nice track, so where does it usually begin with you? You know, do you start with a lyric? Is it a melody, or is it a thick sound or playing around your keyboard, or just uh a mood you're into to capture? Like how does that happen for you?

SPEAKER_12 1:05:17

Over the years it's it's changed a bit. Most a lot of the older songs they started with a guitar, which which actually that's something I haven't done for a long time now. I would say the best songs if if I was gonna be really honest, like the best ones usually come from a really good song title. A song title that somehow creates some kind of imagery that the lyrics write themselves. If the lyrics are writing themselves and you don't have a shortage of inspiration, it's a good indicator that the melody will then crack it up somehow. I think. But you can I mean it's it's not impossible, you know, you can write in many different ways and and some sort of control. start with a on the right day you might find a drum beat inspiring yeah just just the just the drums on another day you might be feeling a little bit more deep you might want to do something a bit slower or whatever but for me I think a good solid song title that really inspires me to to continue writing the track.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:22

And was that your pretty much your process for the supernatural lover LP? And was the LP a collection of music that you've been writing over years or did you just decide to sit down and put out all brand new content and you just sat down I'm gonna write this whole album out or is there a lot of stuff there that had been kind of in your wheelhouse for years and you were like I'm gonna put this together and make a compilation or LP out of it?

SPEAKER_12 1:06:41

I mean it all it it always takes me a long time to finish stuff. So I would say that everything would have been written between like 2020 and last summer.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:52

Right.

SPEAKER_12 1:06:52

No that's the wind that's the window. So yeah some things are definitely definitely older than others. And yeah I mean the process with this I I have to admit it's been a bit of a difficult record because it sort of started around the pandemic and then there were a couple of sort of personal personal problems and things that that were happening and and I just needed to kind of take time out. My my decision making along the way needed I I needed to rest to then go back and finish things off. So what what we've ended up with I'm really really pleased with but it took a long time because after the first album the first album was very much like just infectious kind of thing you know it just sort of happened. Trying to follow that up was was always going to be a little difficult I think.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:40

Yeah there's a few artists I've talked to that started projects during the pandemic right and they started them and then they kind of shelved them for a little bit and then came back to them again after the pandemic and looking at the music that they wrote during the pandemic was really different for them like because of what had been going on in the world at the time. So it's kind of interesting. So you had these people remix your music right Teleconnection, Miracle Herschel you kind of collaborated with these folks but now you're remix remixing for other people yourself so I noticed on the new 10 crowns remix album for Andy Bell you've got a remix on there.

SPEAKER_12 1:08:10

Tell me about how that all came to be and then we'll talk about how the tour like how did Dick's come to be reopening for Andy kind of give us the whole background of Andy Bell how you met him the tour the remixing like all of it how did that all come to be for the don't you for the don't you know we want to try it no need to speak let's keep it sweet no need to speak let's keep it sweet yeah so it happened pretty late and yeah so it was June June of last year let me get that right and I noticed that Andy had had booked six shows in Germany and uh and Knights always play I play in Germany quite a lot. I noticed it was getting closer and closer to the tour so I thought this is strange there's no support band whatever and I I wrote to some people and next thing the phone rings and someone just said would you like to do it? And I'm like of course of course I'd like to do it. And that was great and so we we didn't have much time to prepare but we headed out and um we joined them in Frankfurt and and the whole the whole team was just brilliant from from like the first day and we felt felt very welcome but it you know it was over in a flash you know six shows in one week and then you're back home and it's like you know did that did that really happen I don't know. But it was nice and um but we had dinner and Dave our day which is Andy's keyboard player I think he was putting things together for the 10 crowns remixes and he said how would you feel about doing a remix of one of the tracks he said I'll send you the album tonight and you need to make a decision tomorrow so so um we played a show went to bed woke up got out of the shower put the album on and and what's the first thing I did my my number one track was the one that Vince Vince Clark he'd already already claimed the song so I didn't get the song that that that I that I picked but Dave said you know come on there must be a second one you know so I said I said yeah yeah give me give me the give me this one and so for for today was the one I chose and and it was great because I I came home and I spent most of July sort of working on that.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:33

I think for today is a fantastic track so I'm glad you actually got to do that one. I thought it was a great remix. Did you have fun? Was it stressful doing the opening for Andy Bell? I mean what was the crowd reaction? Just give me the kind of the feeling of how it went over for you.

SPEAKER_12 1:10:47

Was it successful I need to be I need to be pretty honest about this I'm for for many years I've been like a a gigaholic you know I I I like to play live and as a result of that I've I've played in some really strange places with some very strange bands you know so I would say by the time this opportunity came I was just completely ready to enjoy it. And I think as well because I'd been around Germany playing like in every small club so many of those people were at the shows to see Andy you know so there was this crossover there where I could I could at least walk on stage and recognize some people and it you know and that that would always set the show off in the right way you know you you play the first song and a few heads are moving and I sometimes think that without all of the previous touring maybe that wouldn't have been the case. But but because there was this like this small crowd developing it was like by the end of the show everything was building and building and it was you know it was great. So it's a shame it's a shame it was just a few gigs but but it was a great experience.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:58

Well it was a shame that you didn't open for Andy in Los Angeles. I saw him three weeks ago and it was a great show but the opening act was more alternative rock based so it wasn't a synth pay it wasn't a synth band to open the whole show. I forgot her name but she was good but it wasn't what I expected. I expected something a little bit more like along the lines of you because last time I saw Erasure last time I saw Andy when he was here with Erasure he had all hail the silence open for him so you know a a really cool analog synth band fronted by BT so it was a really cool band open for him. But um that's really really cool. So let's talk about your vocals for other bands right so you've you've obviously done your own stuff you've been remixed for other people people remixing for you and now you've been petting up the vocals for other artists primarily I guess Boytronic is one of them I had no idea until you told me this a couple weeks ago because I love these last couple of Boytronic albums a jewel was for me was was tops I loved it but I had no idea you sang on it. So give me some background about that as well.

SPEAKER_12 1:12:58

Yeah so again it was like yeah my my first band Scarlet Stoho we ended in around 2014 I think and I got the phone call to meet Boytronic in 2015 and I mean it was great. I know my heart is haunted and I put the blame on you I know I'm sentimental but instinctively true Mad love call it mad love you never gave my head all colours turn to red call it Mad Love Mad Love I mean it was uh to to start with it was a it was a really really good conversation but the main thing was just that they were making a comeback and would I like to sing on the new record and you know that's pretty big shoes to fill because you know Holger the original singer is he is is is Boytronic primarily and has you know a great voice so it was it was a strange one but I was kind of up for the challenge because at that time I didn't I didn't really have a band anymore. So I thought yeah I thought well let's give it give it a try why not?

SPEAKER_01 1:14:52

Does the music of Boytronic influence any of your music or you know when you're working with them does it give you any kind of thoughts about ooh I'm gonna try some different sounds in my music?

SPEAKER_12 1:15:01

Yeah I would say in in again it's not necessarily recognized but there is a huge sort of Italo disco high energy thing about some of the Boytronic songs and that definitely rubbed off on me and yeah I think it's probably like my sound selection not the songwriting so much but it's definitely influenced my sound selection when I you know when I'm when I'm um composing tracks I I always tend to go for things that aren't aren't heavily comp they're not heavily compressed very simple sounds and that's a trademark of a lot of boytronic songs.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:40

What kind of equipment do you use in your production? Do you are you still using a lot of analog sense or are you pretty much on software sense only?

SPEAKER_12 1:15:47

Oh yeah I mean what I tend to do is I just so that I can work on the train or or in the you know wherever I I just work off my my laptop but then when things get to the serious stage and I need to make some decisions, I go to a studio and so the main things we're using there are like the Pro 10 Juno there overheim. So usually I'm just transferring my MIDI and bouncing it through those synths. But the but the only synth I own at home is the Cork Prologue because that's a good kind of all rounder. It's not it's not just a bass synth and it's not just heads and it's not it kind of that so if I am you know sometimes on the new album I use that quite a lot and I bounced a lot from the cork. But if I need yeah if I need like that kind of really good Yazoo bass I I tend to go to the studio and use the Pro One.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:42

Speaking of Yazoo aren't you doing a remake of Goodbye 70s?

SPEAKER_12 1:16:47

Yeah yeah it's on the on the new album about that is that like one of your favorite Yazoo songs it must be or you wouldn't have put it on there yeah yeah I mean it's just great isn't it I think it's a bit not just lyrically but I like I like it's quite forceful it's quite punky you know and I like that and I do like that about it. I thought it would be a good addition to the live set you know because it's it's under three minutes which is it's under three minutes long which is crazy you know it makes such an impact in in like no time.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:45

Right, right she you know so I I love it yeah that's awesome I forgot what other question I was going to ask you but I what what I'd love to do is work in some of your favorite music. We were talking about some of your most influential artists some of the artists that you loved um you know growing up and and kind of got you into the sound. Tell me two really influential songs you know you talk about goodbye 70s right but like what were two tracks you could even maybe up to five but just specific tracks that just you think are perfect sense pop tracks and influenced your sound or influenced how you make your music wow um I know it's not an easy question sometimes people ask me all the time what's your favorite band and I'm like there's like 10 yeah yeah I mean there's so many depending on even you know phases you've had in in your in your life that where where certain songs jump to the front and then they go and jump back again.

SPEAKER_12 1:19:38

I mean I can remember a lot I I remember going to see a band called The Faint and they did this song paranoia attack and that just completely blew my mind you know that was one of the first times I'd heard a band like that.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:06

Yeah I mean there's a great song Die on the Dance Floor by Tyson which I love and I don't think that gets played enough like that one's amazing what else could I say dancing in the dark by Mike Marine there's a remix coming out of that I heard I saw it on TikTok or somewhere there's a a massive remix of that track coming out I saw that yeah there's finally and you're right that is incredible track I didn't appreciate it as much when it was in the 80s but now for some reason it's just really that that track has a groove that just yeah it's infectious it's like the the the cream is the cream is rising to the top very slowly in fact it's really yeah so that that one's great I love that and I like some of those in England we had this song it was a real strange one.

SPEAKER_12 1:21:41

So we had two old Premier League soccer players why and they started a band called Glen and Chris and uh there's a song called I think it's called Diamond Light. And this one again it's like you know the production is is really high value like synth production so I love that that's that's worth a play you know thin wall your ultra books thin wall that's great erasure knocking on your door love that oh absolutely now okay here's a really tough question for you now what about current artists that are influencing you today?

SPEAKER_01 1:23:24

Like what are the artists that you're in your playlist what are you listening to right now what is really doing it for you as far as current scent pop acts oh well okay let me see I think I've been a lot of them I've been playing with at live shows which is great.

SPEAKER_12 1:23:39

I mean that's that's the best way to to find stuff. So I really like Emon. Emon she's she's she's great. There's a new artist in Hamburg no not Hamburg called Jess Brett yeah everybody mentioned we play on the show that's one I do not know of so that's awesome yeah yeah yeah so that's uh that's uh a new one capital X another one maybe with capital X yeah and there's a great guy who really like there's a guy called Breath Golding from Denmark and finally there's a band called Ancon from Sweden I know them.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:19

I do know Ancom. Yeah those guys are awesome I I need to get more into them they're pretty pretty cool. So finally let's just let's talk about this new album. Tell us when it's coming out tell us where people can find it are you gonna have some remixes on there too and who's remixing for you on this on this record is that gonna be part of the album or is it gonna be a separate remix album like dollars and cents was yeah we'll do a separate remix album yeah but the actual so the real thing comes out on February 5th you can get it from bandcamp.

SPEAKER_12 1:24:49

I'm not sure how easy it'll be to get in the States.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:53

It's easy unless it's on bandcamp and of course I buy it on bandcamp over anything else right so but if I don't see an artist on bandcamp, surprisingly there's a lot of artists that run on on bandcamp. I don't know why but they're just not there. It's probably signed to a major label you probably are not going to be there because then you're you're profiting on the music yourself. It's not the label making the music right but I do I do always tell people to go purchase their music on bandcamp because you get a a nice chunk of that sale and they're not taking a huge amount of money out of your pocket for each one of those records you have to sell there. Are you are you pressing a CD vinyl cassette? What are you doing on physical media?

SPEAKER_12 1:25:28

Yeah all of it all of it will be it's it's in production I think there's a red vinyl a a transparent red vinyl coming in January and we're gonna get that one. Oh what else? And uh yeah and there will be remixes but we'll keep them separate and we've only really just started the process of remixes so I've got two or three at the moment but we kind of we'd like to do the whole album remix.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:56

Yeah yeah that'd be great. Alright well James thank you so much for coming on the show today. It's really a pleasure to hear kind of where you've been where you're going the tours the remixing all of it just is it's a really great story and your your music gets played heavily on the show. You're the perfect person to have on the show because just all the music you like and all your influences and everything line up perfectly with what the show plays every week. So thank you so much James for being here on the show. Really really appreciate it.

SPEAKER_12 1:26:24

No thanks for having me and thanks for the invitation.

SPEAKER_00 1:26:27

And now a special treat and one that James honestly didn't even know I was gonna do I put together a mini mix featuring two tracks from the brand new supernatural lover album by Knights including the title track Supernatural Lover and Goodbye 70s. From there we roll into the AP Mono remix seamlessly mixed into the Miracle Hirsch remix a boom bang boom and then we're gonna get into gelato then we shift gears into two tracks that James himself mentioned as his all time favorites Die on the Dance Floor by Tyson before finishing the mix with Mike Marine's Dancing in the dark this will be the AP Mono 40th anniversary remix.

SPEAKER_16 1:27:04

Buckle up folks here we go seven box symphony in the mix

SPEAKER_10 1:28:42

I'm never feeling you anymore. I'm tired of playing with you as you go by seven seas.

SPEAKER_09 1:31:11

Haven't you touched sweet honey bee? I love you so much, and then stop it up. You haven't to know, what your mother don't see, when your daddy don't know how to do it.

unknown 1:32:21

I want to try to get away from you. Love me. I want to try to get away from you. I can see the beat who will be dancing and died.

SPEAKER_09 1:34:30

You should find shows in the time that should be done with you. Oh dancing in the time, show me the dog will be holding. I can feel me when you love me.

SPEAKER_00 1:36:07

Now that is a combo if there ever was one. Turn it up right now, you're listening to the bigger one.

SPEAKER_24 1:37:43

Every time I think of you, I feel shot right through with a ball of blue. There's no problem in mind, but it's a problem I find.

SPEAKER_09 1:37:54

Living a life that I can't leave behind. There's no sense in telling me the wisdom of the fool won't set you free.

SPEAKER_24 1:38:06

But that's the way life goes, and it's what nobody knows. Well every day my confusion grows Every time I see you falling, I get down on my knees and afraid.

SPEAKER_09 1:38:46

I feel fine about I feel good. I'm feeling like I never should.

SPEAKER_24 1:38:53

Whenever I get this way, I just don't know what to say.

SPEAKER_09 1:38:57

Why can't we be ourselves like we were yesterday? I'm not sure what this could mean. I don't think sure what you see. I do admit to myself that if I had someone else, then I'll never see just what we're meant to be.

unknown 1:39:25

I need to fall back.

SPEAKER_09 1:42:31

No one knows how I feel.

unknown 1:42:34

What I say, let's agree between my life. One man walks away from me.

SPEAKER_09 1:42:45

Take me home. In the middle of my room, I did not hear from you. You be standing in a light, standing in a lie. You be standing in a light. Like a willow. I can't manage. No man's came.

unknown 1:43:41

Baby, or a trail that you could do. One man did not go here before my love I was all. Stand back, stand back.

SPEAKER_09 1:43:57

In the middle of my room I did not get up from you. It's alright, alright. You be standing in a light, standing in a light. You be standing in a light. I will go to show you.

unknown 1:45:12

We are free for another door. Stay up there, stay up there.

SPEAKER_09 1:45:19

In the middle of my room, I did not hear from you. It's alright, it's alright. You be standing in a light. You be standing in a light.

unknown 1:47:00

Nobody does what's going on.

SPEAKER_07 1:48:10

Doesn't matter what you feel, as long as the others you like you right here.

SPEAKER_18 1:48:17

Don't wait for long enough for resistance.

unknown 1:48:21

Don't give up with your distance Step by step. When the sun without wine, we can stop I'll stop before I get children.

SPEAKER_00 1:49:29

That is New Order, Stevie Nicks, and Setu Shabu all coming together in tonight's third mini mix and to close out the night. We've got a killer remix of Donna Summers I Feel Love. It's a brand new modern disco remix that I feel is so good. It deserves to stand completely on its own. No blending, no mixing. We're just gonna let it breathe. And then we're gonna feature the second track from Peter Wilson's new guilty pleasure VP. The song is unbreakable, another high energy from Peter. And then we're gonna close it out with the human league and the brand new Dominatrix remix of love action. And that's how we close out the night right here on Synth Pop Symphony.

SPEAKER_16 1:52:50

This is Synth Bub Symphony.

SPEAKER_09 1:52:54

We won the battle, the battle. We won the fire. When it felt all hope was lost in the dead of night. We never gave up. We never back down. Just like a light draw. Where I'm break the ball. Where I break the ball. No, no, no, no, no, no. Nothing ever holds back. Unstopped the ball, unstopped the ball. Where are we?

unknown 1:53:35

No, no, no, no, no, no. We're gonna break the ball. Break the ball.

SPEAKER_24 1:53:42

We won't be shaking, be shaken.

SPEAKER_09 1:53:45

We won't be shaking.

SPEAKER_24 1:53:48

Made the two that is five.

SPEAKER_09 1:53:51

And the more in great. Don't ever give up. Don't ever back down. Shout it out to the world. Where I'll break the ball. No, no, no, no, no, no. Nothing gonna hold us back. Unstoppable, unstoppable. Where were we as the best one we got?

unknown 1:54:23

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_09 1:54:26

Where I'll break the ball, I'll break the ball, the ball, the ball, I'm bringing ball, the ball, the ball, where I break the bow, where I break the bow. No, no, no, no, no, no. Nothing gonna hold us back. I'm gonna stop the ball, I'll stop the ball.

unknown 1:55:11

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Where I break the ball, I'll break the ball.

SPEAKER_07 1:56:23

You might as well resign yourself to what you're going through. If you're a hot man or if you're a child, it still might get to you. Don't kill yourself, you've seen it all before. A million miles have said that too I've had my head, I've been in love with my husband and a lover too. I've been alone and I'm nice. And the loved ones will let me down and put a share my fore.

unknown 1:57:26

But this is spell token. I wanna tell you what I'm to be true.

SPEAKER_07 1:57:34

I love your boy, love a passion, love, no so I'm gonna shame your boy, one shot.

SPEAKER_00 1:59:22

And are just getting started in 2026. So make sure you tune in for new and classic synthop exclusive remixes, incredible DJ mix sets, and the very best of synth-driven music in all of its forms. If it's synthop, it belongs right here on synthop Symphony. And don't forget to support the show, just head over to synpopsymphony.com for past shows and exclusive DJ mixes, where we break out the mixes you hear on the show and feature them on their own with no breaks, no talking, and nothing else in the way. This is Sin Pop Symphony, stay safe out there.