Icons in the not only the synthwave space, but electronic music as a whole, F.O.O.L and Waveshaper have each spent the last decade cultivating their immersive and hypnotic signature styles of production.

Now, with their new synthwave anthem, “Encounter,” out on Monstercat Uncaged, these two musical masterminds are once again creating something truly exceptional. This collaboration is the perfect prelude to F.O.O.L's highly anticipated debut album, MACHINE, scheduled to drop on Friday, November 10th.

F.O.O.L, an alter-ego of Swedish musician Rasmus Hermansen, has spent over a decade crafting a unique path in the European electro scene. From bass music to progressive and now to the captivating world of synthwave, F.O.O.L's music reflects a rich tapestry of influences, spanning from film scores to melodic metal.

Waveshaper, equally renowned in the electronic music landscape, draws inspiration from the 80s and early 90s soundtrack scene and the video games of his youth. With nine LPs to his name and contributions to Netflix and Ubisoft, Waveshaper's cinematic and melodic soundscapes have captivated audiences worldwide.

Their collaboration on “Encounter” is a testament to their artistic creativity and production prowess, promising an immersive journey from start to finish. As F.O.O.L prepares to unveil MACHINE, this partnership showcases their ability to redefine the possibilities of sound and musical storytelling.

Stay tuned as F.O.O.L and Waveshaper share their top synthwave and cyberpunk-themed tracks, shedding light on their inspirations and taking you on a sonic adventure through their shared passion for this genre.

Check out F.O.O.L & Waveshaper's Top 5 Synthwave And Cyberpunk-Themed Tracks below.

F.O.O.L's Favorites

5. LORN – ENTROPYYY

It is incredibly hard to pick a favorite song from my favorite artist, LORN, so I am just going to select his most recent one, “ENTROPYYY”. The vocoder/talkbox sound in that track inspired me to create something similar in my recent collab with Waveshaper, “Encounter.”

Every single track from LORN tells such an immense story and his sound design is exceptionally unique, something you simply cannot replicate. His dystopian and futuristic style, combining a dark sounds with beautiful synth-work, is something that inspires me from him every day.

4. Mille – Crysteena

The reason why “Crysteena” from Mille is one of my favorite synthwave tracks is because it relates so much to when I was a teenager back in 2008, and what I was listening to just before I started producing music myself.

I used to browse Myspace for cool, rare electronic music at the time. I would put it on my MP3 player and listen on the 40 minute bus-ride to school and back home. Mille was just one of the many artists I found. He was also from Sweden, like me, which made it even more special.

“Crysteena” was a track I always played whenever I felt sad. It immediately made me feel better. Years later, it still does.

But not only that, Mille was so ahead of his time with his synthwave sound. It is crazy to me how underrated he was and how well “Crysteena” still holds up 15 years later. If he was still making music, I am very certain that he would be one of the biggest synthwave producers of all time by now.

3. Danger – 07:46

There is no doubt that Danger has been a huge inspiration for me ever since the start. I actually discovered him because my big brother was a fan of his music in 2007. Since we have always had similar tastes in music, I immediately fell in love with Danger’s sound when I first heard it.

“07:46” is probably the one track I have listened to the most from Danger during my early days of producing. It made me learn that your music does not need to be overly complex to have an impact as long as there is an atmosphere, mystery, and theme behind it.

I have also been a fan of his art and overall vision of his project for a long time, and had the privilege of meeting him two times, when we talked a little bit about this kind of stuff. It is something that I will forever be grateful for.

2. F.O.O.L & Power Glove – Mercenary

I have been a big fan of Power Glove ever since I stumbled upon their EP, EP 1, on Spotify back in 2012. When I heard their soundtrack for the game Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon back in 2013, I immediately knew we had to do something together.

I have always liked how surprised I get every time they release new music because they keep things diverse and interesting. Power Glove has the ability to make something super dark and gritty, but also something really upbeat and fun once in a while. There is just a special aspect to their sound design and the way they structure their tracks that makes everything sound so badass.

I was super happy when they started to follow me on social media and said they would be happy to collaborate with me when I asked them. We gave it our all to combine our sounds in “Mercenary” with a cyberpunk theme behind it. I am proud that it is currently my most popular track on Spotify, as Power Glove is definitely a huge inspiration to me.

1. F.O.O.L & Waveshaper – Encounter

I discovered Waveshaper back in 2015 after finding his album “Exploration 84” on Spotify, and have been a fan of his music ever since. His diverse and huge catalog of songs in the synthwave genre inspired me to create more of it, so he has played a big role in me getting back into producing more synth-like stuff again.

After talking about working together for some years, we finally found the right idea and time to release one. I really enjoyed working on “Encounter,” because I feel it captures both of our sounds really well. I am ecstatic about how it turned out and that Waveshaper is a part of my upcoming album, MACHINE.

Waveshaper's Favorites

5. Power Glove – Motorcycle Cop

I remember discovering Power Glove with their soundtrack for Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon. This was back in 2013 when I started to produce music as Waveshaper. I have always been very inspired by Power Gloves sounds, dark and gritty but also very melodic and impactful.

“Motorcycle Cop” is from their EP II release and they were early with the cyberpunk crossover sound. The intro is really a mood setter followed by a very strong dark bassline.

4. Mega Drive – Dataline

This track has a great flow and the bassline reminds me a bit of the Terminator 1984 chase theme. The great thing with this track is also the minimalistic design, letting the main sounds get a strong presence. Mega Drive has been consistent in releasing a lot of music during the last 10 years. If you liked this track, there are plenty of more similar ones to discover.

3. Absolute Valentine – Omega

The song starts off like a level in DOOM II. The mood instantly sends a signal about what you will expect next. A perfect mid-tempo style tracks with a story-telling vibe.

Absolute Valentine is well known for his horror-style tracks with darker vibes, although he also has some other great french house, melodic-style music you need to check out as well.

2. Powernerd – Brainwave Accelerator

I met Powernerd in Stockholm during a live show in 2017. He was dressed in a unique mirror-patched dress and helmet. This guy went 100% into the show and this is also reflected in his music. Very dynamic, melodic yet powerful.

“Brainwave Accelerator” is a nice example of a track that takes different turns and lets the listener stay focused during the ride. The small fills, speech synth and orchestra hits makes it even more interesting.

1. F.O.O.L & Waveshaper – Encounter

F.O.O.L has a wide range of tracks. Cyberpunk and mid-tempo are his best styles ain my opinion. “Mercenary” or “Revenger” are perfect examples of that.

Now, making a track together was really a dream. I have always been very impressed with his mixing style, and I think we did a good job to mix our sounds in “Encounter.” I had a great time just throwing ideas back and forward. It resulted in quite a long track, which is a more exciting journey for the audience.

I created the end part arpeggio-chords, like a second idea for a break. F.O.O.L responded with, “this is a perfect ending, let me tweak something a bit further.” This is the great part about collaboration, as you can see and hear different things, then puzzle them together in a creative way.

 FOLLOW F.O.O.L: INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | SOUNDCLOUD | TWITTER |  | FACEBOOK

FOLLOW WAVESHAPER: INSTAGRAM | SPOTIFY | SOUNDCLOUD | TWITTER |  | FACEBOOK | WEBSITE

Photos courtesy of F.O.O.L, Waveshaper, Joakim Reimer, and Svetlana Kovalenko.

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