The State of Synth

The State of Synth is a weekly live synthwave radio show on Nightride FM — part news, part music, and just a dash of ’80s cheese. Equal parts funny, surreal, and informative, it features exclusive interviews and tracks from some of synthwave’s most notable artists.

S12E14 – Space Milk w/ Sunesis

Dennis G and Neon Fawkes cozy up with some space milk—er, Bantha milk—as they chat with spacewave producer Sunesis. They discuss her musical inspirations, her love for space stations, and where to find the best empanadas.

12-11
01:37:00

S14E12 – The Swedish Takeover Episode w/ Lyst

On this week’s episode of The State of Synth, Groot and Neon Fawkes hang out with Swedish producer Lyst to talk about his music, his influences, his favorite tools, and what he’s been working on lately. We spin three of his tracks—“The Return,” “Downhill Drift,” and “Doze”—while diving into how he approaches sound, collaboration, and […]

11-20
01:39:01

S14E11 – The Touch of YOTA

This week on The State of Synth, Groot and Neon Fawkes chat with Swedish-French artist YOTA about her new album The Touch, collaborations with Johan Agebjörn and Douze, and her latest video. Plus new music from Droidglow, Kobra Force, Mecha Matos, Dynatron, Extra Terra, and Glitbiter.

11-12
01:50:35

S14E9 – Letting Our Hair Down w/ Anniee

Groot and Neon Fawkes sit down with Anniee to talk Night School, her musical The Heart (and the making-of doc), and what’s next. They also run through upcoming tour dates and spin a stack of fresh cuts from Phaserland, Jessy Mach, The Midnight, Atlas Neon, Battlejuice & Power Rob, and Miami Nights 1984.

10-30
01:50:04

S14E8 – Three Layers of Bass w/ Neon Nox

Groot and Neon Fawkes were joined by Swedish outrun powerhouse Neon Nox to talk about his music, collaborations, and production techniques behind his high-octane sound — including his work on the Terrorbytes soundtrack. The episode featured premieres from Signal Void, Annie, and Von Kaiser, plus bangers from Droid Bishop, YOTA, and Megan McDuffee.

10-15
02:06:16

S14E7 – Getting Nostalgic For Nostalgia w/ Vehlinggo

Groot and Neon Fawkes were joined by Vehlinggo’s Aaron Vehling to talk about the blog’s origins, iconic interviews, and its impact on the synthwave scene. They also spun tracks from Let Em Riot plus some of Aaron’s own picks, including Electric Youth, Fawn, Foret de Vin, Kinga, Sébastien Tellier, and more.

10-02
02:17:34

S14E6 – Making Music in Our Heads w/ VHS Dreams

Groot and Fawkes were joined by VHS Dreams — one of the OGs of the synthwave scene — for a trip through his retro-electronic world, from Trans Am and retro EDM roots to cover albums, aesthetics, and action-figure brainstorms. Along the way they spun fresh cuts and premieres from Evanton, Pfeffermouse & Edictum & Turbo […]

09-24
01:57:46

S14E5 – DreamReaper & Chill

This week, Groot and Fawkes plug into the dark cybernetic world of DreamReaper — the Portland producer whose sound fuses heavy riffs, glitchy textures, and cinematic energy. They dive into his creative process, favorite tools of destruction, and how his music is shifting toward new frontiers, from collaborations to movie soundtracks. Along the way, expect […]

09-19
02:15:33

S14E4 – Pro Wrestling Energy w/ Immortal Girlfriend

Groot and Fawkes were joined by Immortal Girlfriend — the Dark Knights of Synth — for a deep dive into their cinematic sound, brotherly chemistry, and their journey from Milwaukee to major syncs in Wednesday, Good Girls, and NBA 2K22. They shared creative inspirations, stories from the road, and even what fuels a 2AM tour […]

09-10
01:52:57

S14E3 – All Those Collabs w/ Pashang and Edictum

This week on The State of Synth, Groot and Neon Fawkes are joined by special guests Edictum (Austria) and Pashang (Korea) to talk about their global collaborations, upcoming releases, and the making of their concept album. Tune in for a boat load of exclusive premieres and fresh tracks from The Midnight, Droid Bishop, Futurecop!, and […]

09-03
01:57:49

S14E1 – Monster Battles w/ Power Rob

Fawkes and Groot power up the season premiere with Neotropolis veteran and vocal powerhouse Power Rob — talking Dark Star, touring, and the secrets to ultimate Dragon Ball Z victory.

08-13
02:11:15

S13E14 – Getting Mellow w/ Nightflyer

Groot and Neon Fawkes chat with Toronto-based chillsynth producer Nightflyer. They dive into his music, his upcoming album, the Toronto music scene, and just how much melatonin we should really be taking. Hop aboard your favorite seagull and prepare for flight!

06-05
01:46:24

S13E15 – The Valkyrie Collective (Season Finale)

Dennis and Jules wrap up the season with an epic chat featuring OG Synthwave and French Touch legends Nightstop and Maethelvin—plus some killer tunes and a few herp-a-derps for good measure. Thanks for listening! See you in September!

06-19
03:13:10

S13E13 – Kickin’ it w/ Indigo

In this episode of The State of Synth, Groot and Neon Fawkes sit down with New Zealand-based synthwave artist Indigo for a late-night/early-afternoon chat about her music, gaming, and what’s been going on in the land Down Under.

06-01
01:04:58

S13E12 – Starcadian Tribute

In this episode of The State of Synth, Groot and Neon Fawkes honor the late Starcadian with a mix of his music, personal stories, and fan tributes. Guests Rob O’Neill, James Secker, and Jared Butler join to share their memories and experiences.

05-14
03:31:05

S13E11 – The Synthwave Matryoshka w/ ODDitee

This week on The State of Synth, Groot and Neon Fawkes welcome Pacific Northwest-based artist ODDitee. We dive into his debut album Everlasting, favorite VSTs, cereal preferences, his signing with Rosso Corsa Records—and things get very meta. Plus, fresh tracks from Lukhash, L’Avenue, Midnight Fury, and more.

05-09
01:46:10

S13E10 – Happy Spiritual Songs w/ Mike Templar

Swiss synthwave artist Mike Templar joins us to talk about his spiritual new album The Owl and The Moon, his love of sci-fi, and how storytelling drives his sound. Dennis learns more about his own Swiss roots—and how he may or may not be the main protagonist in Mike’s novel TROM.

05-02
01:43:07

S13E9 – Naming Palm Trees w/ Valley Lights

In this sun-soaked episode of The State of Synth, we cruise down the neon-lit highway with Valley Lights, the LA-based retrowave artist behind Two Lane Highway. We chat about his journey into synthwave, the inspiration behind his debut album, and why he’ll never get tired of palm trees.

04-22
01:47:36

S13E8 – Alex Lightspeed & the Most Excellent Episode

In this radiant new episode of The State of Synth, Groot and Neon Fawkes sit down with synth maestro Alex Lightspeed and The Most Excellent Band—featuring Siren Niphilim, The Neon Syndicate, and more—for a high-energy conversation that spans creative collaboration, retro inspirations, and the road to their upcoming album, “Lost Future” (dropping April 25th on […]

04-16
01:51:53

S13E7 – Songwriting in the Soup w/ Jessie Frye

Dennis and Jules sit down for a poised yet playful chat with synthpop queen and NewRetroWave artist Jessie Frye. From songwriting secrets to the lush sonic landscapes of her new album Otherworld, this episode dives deep into the stories behind the songs. Plus—could a Jessie Frye darksynth project be on the horizon? Tune in to […]

04-09
01:55:49

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