Fury Weekend Shares The Inspiration Behind His New Album, Escape From Neon City

INTERVIEW WITH FURY WEEKEND

Belarus-based synthwave artist Fury Weekend had a breakout year in 2019 defined by rapid follower growth and an acclaimed full-length album, establishing him as one of the biggest names in the genre. By blending energetic ‘80s rock and metal influences into the throwback electronic sounds of synthwave, the artist has created a highly polished and synergistic style that brings retrofuturistic audio to life in an accessible and immediately impressive package.

The artist’s early work earned him a devoted fanbase and caught the ear of synthwave label FiXT Neon at the end of 2018, leading to a series of brand new singles through the label in 2019. Buzz around the project has grown steadily from month to month, hitting 125,000 monthly listeners on Spotify just as the artist released his latest full-length album, Escape From Neon City.

The new album carries on the creative tradition of Fury Weekend’s past recordings while leaning harder into the rock elements of the project and incorporating an array of impressive vocal collaborations. These singing performances include ones from synthwave siren Megan McDuffee and electronic rock icon Klayton, known within synthwave for his sci-fi themed project, Scandroid. 

Anyone who’s heard Escape From Neon City is likely to tell you the album is Fury Weekend’s strongest creative effort to date, and with the recording currently piling up, streams and acclaim online, this seems like the perfect time to learn a little more about the creator and his new album. 

What does the Escape From Neon City album mean to you?

Well, every Fury Weekend release has its own shape and colour. Escape From Neon City is a tribute to classic movies like Escape from New York and Escape from Los Angeles. It’s an escape from a dystopian cityscape to a more distant cyberspace, and is a continuation of my first album, Retro Rangers.

Any specific inspiration behind making this album?

The inspiration is always the same: life in a broader sense, as well as people and personal events from my own life I adopt into the reality of the Fury Weekend universe.

What specific gear, software or production tools did you use making this album or any notes about specific songs?

As a software lover, I used a lot of creative tools from Propellerhead Software (Reason Studios). Their new rack extensions are great and provide a field for creativity. This time I tried to fatten and add some modern sound to the basic Fury Weekend music style.

What are your top 3 favorite synths right now (hardware or software)?

Reveal Sound’s Spire, Synapse’s The Legend, and Korg’s Polysix are my favorites right now!

What was it like working with multiple vocal collaborators? What was the process like?

Sometimes it’s complicated to switch into collab mode when you’re producing instrumental music. Nevertheless, it’s always a great experience, and the process is always different because it depends on the artist you’re working with. It was a great pleasure to work with Klayton, Megan, Josh and others.

Can you list your favorite retro (‘80s / ‘90s) horror or sci-fi movies?

I’m a huge fan of Kurt Russell. The Thing, Escape From New York, Escape from L.A., and Big Trouble in Little China are all classics. I even like Stargate with him. 

Of course, Aliens from James Cameron is a sci-fi horror classic by a great director, and I also like the first part of Aliens. I also remember Terminator 2 since my childhood so it’s still one of my favorites.

The Back to the Future trilogy is one of my favorite movie trilogies of all time, and I would like to give honorable mentions to the movies Total Recall, Blade Runner and The Lawnmower Man.

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Fury Weekend’s new full-length album, Escape From Neon City, is available now on all platforms through independent synthwave label FiXT Neon.

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Fury Weekend Covers Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick In The Wall”

Fury Weekend, a pioneering force in the evolution of guitar-driven synthwave, brings his skillful cybernetic touch to one of the most iconic tracks in rock history, Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall.” Striking a delicate balance between innovation and homage, Fury Weekend maintains the rebellious character that made the original a hit while pulling the song into a distinctively modern musical space.

A mature version of the iconic chorus calls out across the soundscape while methodical synth melodies and glitchy electronic effects combine with Fury Weekend’s signature guitar tones for a densely woven composition. Fury Weekend’s “Another Brick in the Wall” is a fitting tribute to a classic, and a must-hear release for not only Pink Floyd and synthwave supporters, but fans from all walks of modern music production.

Stream / Purchase:
https://fanlink.to/anotherbitw

ABOUT FURY WEEKEND

Fury Weekend is a one-man synthwave act putting a rugged, futuristic spin on retro synth music. The pioneering project was born in 2017 when Belarus-based Ars Nikonov chose to combine his love of classic rock, electronic music, and ‘80s culture into a forward-thinking music venture. The result has sent ripples across the edges of retrowave music and helped to set the stage for a new era of the genre.

The versatility of Ars’ songwriting and his top-notch production as Fury Weekend should come as no surprise, as he’s an experienced creator who’s honed his skills working in diverse genres from EBM and tribal industrial to post-rock. Projects like Diversant: 13, Cold in May, Martian Love, Seanine, and Tribal A.D. fill Ars’ creative resume, and Fury Weekend is the veteran artist’s latest ambitious music journey.

That journey began in 2017 with the release of Fury Weekend’s debut EP, Sunset Overdrive, which connected the nostalgic allure of traditional synthwave music with rock and metal-infused guitar. The result simultaneously represents the music’s past and its future.

The strength of the EP earned equal acclaim from synthwave fans and critics, who embraced its unique stylistic approach and adrenaline-fueled delivery. “Till the Dawn” was especially well-received, landing on NewRetroWave’s hugely popular YouTube channel and gathering thousands of upvotes in the process. Tracks like “Chasing Stars” found similar success, making it onto year-end lists of the best synthwave songs of 2017.

Sunset Overdrive was a hit, but it was only the beginning for Fury Weekend. The artist made an even greater impact with 2017’s full-length album, Retro Rangers. Packed end-to-end with riveting guitar work and captivating synth solos, the album confirmed Fury Weekend’s ability to deliver on a large scale.

2018 saw the release of two more exciting EPs, first on Stranger in LA and then Avengers After Dark. Both recordings extended Fury Weekend’s stylistic exploration while maintaining the energetic and beautifully melodic cyber-synthwave sound fans have come to love. Avengers after Dark in particular featured a bigger sound and more ambitious production techniques than anything from the artist’s past discography.

Ars is just getting warmed up.

In the summer of 2018, Fury Weekend inked a deal with the independent, artist-owned powerhouse label FiXT, within their synth inspired sub-label FiXT Neon. In addition to repackaging all four previous recordings for re-release, FiXT is preparing to launch the next era in Fury Weekend’s impressive career. The move is sure to be a game-changer for the artist, the record label, and the rest of the synthwave world. With a large fanbase already onboard, Fury Weekend is set to redefine the future of retro music.

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