Luke chats with South Carolina based synthwave producer Matt Hancock, about creativity, modular synthesis and the ways music can transform personal experiences into something completely new. As Luke creates improvised piano soundtracks in response to Matt’s stories and ideas, they explore the sounds and influences behind his experimental synthwave project DecoLux, drawing on 1980s and early 1990s music, analogue gear and cassette textures. Matt shares two memorable stories from his military training: the moment he discovered that perfect snowflakes really do exist, and a chaotic winter field exercise where a blizzard knocked over their tent, leaving the group scrambling outside in their underwear in sub-zero temperatures.

The stories inspire live musical collaborations across the internet, with Luke on piano, Matt uses his modular synthesizer to create atmospheric, playful and unpredictable sounds. Along the way, they discuss modular synthesis as both a compositional tool and meditative practice, the unique character of analogue instruments, and how improvisation can uncover new emotional dimensions in familiar memories. The episode also offers a glimpse into DecoLux’s upcoming album Eventide and its fusion of synthwave, pop and experimental sound.

They discuss:

◼ How Matt's synthwave project DecoLux draws inspiration from 1980s and early 1990s sounds, analogue gear and cassette recordings

◼ How an improvised piano piece inspires Matt to imagine an isolated author struggling with writer's block before finding a sudden spark of inspiration

◼ How stories from Matt's military training — discovering a perfect snowflake and surviving a blizzard — become soundtracks combining tension, curiosity, chaos and humour

◼ How Luke's piano improvisation and Matt's modular synthesizer create a unique musical collaboration, exploring different ways of using sound to capture emotion and atmosphere

Follow Matt:
◼ On Instagram: @deco.luxe.music
◼ On Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2j3K8z15j2LdBX0pHafEwD?si=EFEfI2D0Qk6sQcZoUfmjJg

Follow Impropod:

◼On Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC34WsYcP0CO0urZJJLz1tOw

◼ See this episode on the podcast map at: https://www.impropod.com/

Follow Luke
◼On Instagram: @lukeymeankeys

◼On LinkedIn @luke-tomlinson-917ab6252/

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