Not for lack of competition, Milwaukee producer Dashcam has corned the market on glimmering, retro synth-pop, putting a modernist sheen on the sounds of ’80s teen movies and arcade games. It’s a winning muse—and also an in-vogue one, as evidenced by society’s perma-nostalgia for all things ’80s—but Dashcam’s real gift is the way he continually finds new applications for it. The producer’s glammed-up, aptly titled third EP, DREAMWAVE, builds on the 8-bit inspiration of its predecessors, expanding his sound into ever-grander pop territory.
It also reunites him with a couple of singers he’s collaborated with on their own projects. GGOOLLDD’s Margaret Butler takes the lead on “Fire Escape,” a more digitalized take on that band’s sparkling electro-pop that affirms her as one of the city’s most uplifting singers. Even more surprising is an ebullient lead turn from NO/NO’s Cat Ries on “Blue Eyes,” a Prince by way of Wilson Phillips pastiche that finds the singer sharing an aspirational New Year’s resolution, for those still looking for one: “I get up early morning ’cuz I’m trying to get better at spending time in the sun.”
You can stream the EP below, via Bandcamp.
