REBORN by Crime City Keytarist

Crime City Keytarist’s Reborn is a feast of well-produced retro synth music with a unique flair, strong character and engaging sound. There’s well-crafted melodies surfing on a wave of layered, interlocking synths and shaping drums and bass. The retro sensibility mingles with the modern production to keep it sharp and clean.

Melody is something to which I am drawn and Crime City Keytarist has a gift for writing great melodies. There’s an emotional quality to his melodies that I find engaging as they unfold. He also has a knack for mingling different feelings in his melodies, bringing together ache and hope or energy and melancholy. The end result is songs that I want to hear over again.

I also enjoy the lush, layered synth sounds on Reborn. There’s a great variety of different tones, timbres and textures in the synths that Crime City Keytarist uses, but he always keeps them in balance. I am drawn to the unique, ear-grabbing sonic combinations that he weaves in his music. There’s a real appeal to the way in which all the synth elements come together on the album.

The songs on Reborn are well-written and well performed by Crime City Keytarist. His lyrics are engaging and his voice is strong and expressive as he sings. There are only two tracks that showcase his vocal talent and songwriting ability, but those two tracks are enough to make me want to hear more from him.



“Reborn” commences as smooth, dense bass flows below the typing sounds and office ‘phones ringing while massively flaring notes descend. Round-toned synth with a shadowy weight is leavened by warm tinges. Gigantic, hard-hitting drums and a metallic, robotic sound echo through the music. Glittering chimes carry a melody skilfully mingling pained emotion and brightness.

Fuller, more caressing notes flow underneath as creaking bass and powerful drums add shape. Reverent, almost choral sounds flow below the melancholy chiming melody. Smoother, wider-sounding synth trumpets out with a sense of rising strength. As the song ends, the chiming melody flickers and broad, trumpeting synth flares out into space.

Sharply flashing synth flows out above quickly wandering bass to start “Dance All Night.” Drums hit with smooth motion as the snare establishes a steady pulse. Gentleness permeates the lead synth melody as the pumping, driving bass grooves.

Nasal-sounding, shimmering lead synth carries a bursting, yearning melody that I find hard to resist. Crime City Keytarist’s voice is deep and expressive, carrying a melody with an element of mystery and a hurting, hoping feeling. Diamond light glints from the lead synth and the chorus lifts above propulsive bass and shaping drums.

Piano-like synth dances with dynamic, positive energy and Crime City Keytarist’s vocals are leavened with pleading need. The glistening synth winds out and the throbbing low end carries the smooth vocals before silence falls.

Our storyteller has heard a rumour that the song’s subject is back in town. He can’t believe it since it "feels like half an eternity since I saw you leavin’. ” Even in the disco’s darkness, he is in no doubt once he sees the other person “lighting up the room.”

Now the narrator is on the dance floor “groovin’…movin’ ” and dancing all night. It is a fleeting moment but while they’re dancing “you and I are one.” The night has to end and he’s heard that the song’s subject isn’t staying around. He wishes it could be different and concludes by saying, “The sun is rising - night's becoming day. Can’t it be another way?”

“Dream Chaser” opens as drums smack hard and digital-sounding synth ripples rapidly while solid bass oscillates. A ringing, bell-like quality characterizes the lead synth as it carries a dreamy melody.

Glockenspiel frolics through the music, carrying a pleasingly joyful melody above gigantic, rebounding drums and bass. A metallic synth with a string-like quality cuts in with a flaring gleam. Now medium-high, shining synth calls out an encouraging, lively melody above drum and bass motion.

Drums tick as fat, medium-low synth surges and the celebratory lead synth melody sings out, swirling on glistening synth. Angular, unevenly pulsing synth with a dark tinge moves before glockenspiel twirls in happy motion. String-like, intensely shining synth leaps above deeply throbbing drums and the track ends.

Digital-sounding, undulating synth creates a wide sonic vista above strong drums and angular bass to start “Midnight Sun.” Trumpeting, bright lead synth carries a melody mingling shadow and progress above rounded synth.

Tenderly singing synth carries a melody that aches and hopes above a grittier synth layer and shaded, pulsating bass. String-like synth flares with more glow and panpipe synth beautifully carries an ethereal, fragile melody as drums cascade. Expansive, open-voiced synth undulates and brassy synth flies.

Now a segment with energized, twirling synth flickers again. Huge, rough-edged bass pulsates before intense, heart-warming synth shines down on the low end’s active motion. Silence briefly falls before the initial synth pattern moves again. The track finishes off with medium-high, gritty synth singing out into quiet.

“Transcend” kicks off as a colossal kick drum pounds and swirling, sweeping notes glide above it and cutting synth forms a steady pulsation. Chimes twinkle delicately while full, medium-high synth breaks in between and active bass throbs.

Crime City Keytarist’s voice is smooth and lightly touching above a shaping snare drum and angular bass pulse. The vocal melody manages to be hopeful and lost in a way I find pleasing. It floats above the echoing snare drum and moving bass line.

Crime City Keytarist’s voice swirls through the music and the drums flourish. A feeling of progress permeates the music as reverent synth echoes out, adding soothing emotion.There’s a message of evolution as the fragile, distorted vocals and the sharper robotic voice create interesting contrasts.

The narrator offers the bleak assessment that humanity tried and failed and now “the planet is dying because of their greed” Earth is scorched and has nothing left to stay for. Our narrator calls out for people to “come with me if you want to live.” He says that if we “transcend” things don’t have to end.

He calls for people to explore their potential in a “limitless fantasy” and transcend with him. He speaks about reaching a transcendent state beyond reality. If we leave the broken world behind, we can all come together and “become one with cyberspace.”

Stygian bass rumbles underneath ominously shining synth to open “The Terrans Are Coming.” Round-sounding notes arpeggiate and medium-high, gliding synth calls out in a sadness-tinged melody. The main melody is full of a tremulous grace that I find touching. Drums launch the music forward and brassy, full-toned lead synth leaps out carrying a motivating, energetic melody.

The music slips through a flowing segment with softly curling synth tendrils winding around guiding drums. Dynamic life pours from the lead synth as massive drums and gruff bass drive. Razor-edged synth intertwines in jumping motion above the unrelenting drums before soft-edged, rounded synth ripples through and silence falls.

“Where Are You Now?” comes to life as brightly glistening synth slowly flows through a pattern of sparkling notes. Hard-hitting drums and dense bass propel the music below the noble, tragic lead synth melody as it sings out. Medium-low, slightly gruff synth takes up the yearning melody.

I am emotionally engaged by the mixture of loss and hope that radiates from this track’s melody. The lead synth carries over the beat, nobility and hurt mingling as the track moves forward. A more uplifting emotion fills the synth as it rises again.

The music shifts back to the melancholy, hopeful melody as drums and bass push onward. The track ends with the elegiac melody calling out as the beat leaps out into silence.



Reborn has a great mix of retro synth energy, dynamic beats, beautiful melodies and enjoyable songwriting. Crime City Keytarist creates music that’s fun to listen to and full of auditory interest. I thoroughly enjoy listening to this album.

- Karl Magi, Absynth

Crime City Keytarist is a synthwave artist based in Malmö, Sweden. Follow Crime City Keytarist on an adventure through time and space filled with synths, drum and bass!