Diving into the world of VHS PANTY RIOT๐, this interview explores the nostalgic, cinematic shift behind “Peel The Sun,” revealing a more emotional yet subtly unsettling side of the project’s dark synth identity.
1. “Peel
The Sun” has a more nostalgic and cinematic tone compared to your heavier work,
what specifically inspired this shift in mood?
Peel The
Sun came from wanting to explore the more emotional side of VHS PANTY RIOT๐ without losing the darker atmosphere. A lot of
my other material is heavier, more aggressive and more violent in energy, but
this one felt more reflective. It still has tension underneath it, but the main
feeling is more nostalgic, like looking back at something that was beautiful
but slightly sad.
2. You
mentioned the track felt separate from the upcoming EP, what made it stand apart
creatively or emotionally?
The
upcoming EP is much more directly tied to 80s and 90s slasher film energy. It
is darker, heavier, more aggressive, and more theatrical. Peel The Sun felt
like it belonged to the same world, but not the same story. It had a warmer,
more cinematic mood, and emotionally it felt more like a standalone scene than
part of the EP’s main concept.
3. Your
sound draws heavily from 80s and 90s horror soundtracks, are there specific films
or composers that shaped this track?
For Peel
The Sun, the influence is less about one specific film and more about that era
of atmosphere. I love the way 80s and 90s films could make something feel
beautiful and unsettling at the same time. Composers like John Carpenter are
always somewhere in the background for me, but this track also leans into the
emotional, widescreen side of synth music rather than pure horror.
4.
There’s a sense of something “not quite right” beneath the warmth of the song,
how do you approach creating that subtle tension in your music?
I like
contrast. If something feels too warm or too pretty, I usually want to bend it
slightly out of shape. That might be through darker harmony, detuned synths,
distorted textures, or small arrangement choices that make the listener feel
like the ground is shifting a little. With Peel The Sun, I wanted the warmth to
be real, but not completely safe.
5.
Compared to your darker, heavier material, did “Peel The Sun” require a
different production mindset or workflow?
Yes. With
the heavier tracks, I’m often thinking about impact, aggression, drums, bass weight
and tension. This one was more of a nostalgia ride focussing on melody rather
than tension.
6. The
track feels very visual, almost like an unfinished film, do you imagine
narratives or scenes while composing?
Definitely.
I usually think visually when I write. I don’t always have a full story in my
head, but I’ll have a scene, a mood, or a fragment of something. Peel The Sun
felt like a scene from a film that never fully explains itself. That is a big
part of VHS PANTY RIOT๐ for me: making music that feels
like it belongs to a film scene, even if the film does not exist.
7. How
do you balance retro authenticity with modern electronic production in your sound?
I’m not
trying to make museum piece retro music. I love the character of older synth soundtracks,
but I also want the production to feel powerful and modern. So I use retro influence
as the foundation, then push it with heavier sound design and more aggressive
low end, and a bigger sense of impact. The goal is not perfect nostalgia. It is
nostalgia dragged into something louder and stranger.
8. As an
independent project, how important is complete creative control to VHS PANTY
RIOT๐?
It is
extremely important. VHS PANTY RIOT๐ has a
very specific tone, and I need the freedom to follow ideas that might be too
odd, too heavy, too funny, or too dark for a more conventional project. Being
independent means I can build the sound, visuals, titles and whole world around
instinct rather than trying to fit a clean marketing category.
9. Can
you tell us about your collaboration with Juho Kilponen on mixing and
mastering, how did they shape the final sound?
Working
with Juho helped give Peel The Sun the polish and weight it needed without
losing its atmosphere. I had a clear idea of the mood and arrangement, but the
final mix and master helped bring out the scale of the track. It gave the song
more clarity, depth and confidence, while keeping the emotional and cinematic
feel intact.
10. The
artwork plays a strong role in your aesthetic, how did Josie Kilby’s visuals
complement “Peel The Sun”?
Josie’s
artwork helped give the track a visual identity that matched the mood without
over explaining it. Peel The Sun is emotional and cinematic, but there is still
something strange underneath it, and the artwork supports that feeling. It
makes the release feel like part of a bigger VHS PANTY RIOT๐ world, while still standing apart from the
darker slasher direction of the EP. The balloon subtly floating away is a
staple for VHS PANTY RIOT, it symbolizes how things you hold onto sometimes
become out of reach in life.
11. With
the EP arriving in June 2026, how does this single hint at, or differ from,
what listeners can expect from the full release?
Peel The
Sun hints at the cinematic side of VHS PANTY RIOT๐, but the EP is heavier, darker and more directly horror driven. The EP
is built around an 80s/90s slasher movie atmosphere, so it has more aggression,
more panic, and more violence in the sound. Peel The Sun is more nostalgic and
emotional. It shows another side of the project, rather than being a direct
preview of the EP.
12. For
fans of artists like Carpenter Brut, what do you think VHS PANTY RIOT๐ brings uniquely to the
darksynth/synthwave scene?
I mean the
entire reason I started making this music is that there simply just isn’t
enough Carpenter Bruts! Perhaps if there were lots of artists making this style
I would not have bothered, but I love his music so much I feel empty when I run
out of new stuff to consume!
It really
drove me to put down my guitars and pick up a synth and start making my own
stuff. I am not trying to copy Carpenter Brut directly however. VHS PANTY RIOT๐is supposed to be a little more ridiculous,
crazy and tongue in cheek.
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