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Jun 22, 2011 Ford & Lopatin By Ben Schumer

Joel Ford (Tiger City) and Daniel Lopatin (Oneohtrix Point Never) are childhood friends attempting to recapture the sounds of their childhood—specifically, borderline cheesy synth-pop, R&B, and electro from the ‘80s. If you didn’t live through this particular era, Channel Pressure probably won’t appeal to you. If you did, you might just embrace this nostalgia bomb.

While it’s sometimes difficult to separate the ironic from the sincere, Channel Pressure was clearly created with nothing but the sincerest of intentions. Ford & Lopatin are casting a wide net here: TV theme songs, New Wave, Robert Fripp-ish guitar solos, 8-bit video games, synth-funk, and Giorgio Moroder are all represented and it’s all cast into tightly crafted homages. If it had been released in 1984, “Surrender” would have been a hit single.

As enjoyable as Channel Pressure can be, it’s difficult to take it in as anything more than a time capsule. If you’re coming to Ford & Lopatin as an Oneohtrix Point Never fan (guilty), you might be shocked by how goofy the dark synth lord can get. (www.softwarelabel.net)

Author rating: 7/10