Thanks to the success of shows like Stranger Things and films like Drive, the gauzy, retro-future sounds of the 1980s are enjoying a surge in popularity not seen since, well, the actual 1980s. In Milwaukee, there’s no shortage of artists mining the “Where’s the beef?” decade for musical inspiration, though few do it quite like Donny Jankowski—a.k.a. Dashcam. The Milwaukee producer has spent the past few years remixing everyone from GGOOLLDD and Klassik to NO/NO and Rio Turbo, giving each a dash of synthwave nostalgia and Trapper Keeper flair. Now, Dashcam is branching out into original material—and getting some help from a group of local heavy hitters.
“Fire Escape,” the first single from Dashcam’s upcoming Dreamwave EP, features GGOOLLDD frontwoman Margaret Butler turning in an especially smoldering vocal performance over an especially glistening electro backdrop. (Think Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, but without all the grand theft auto.) Dreamwave, due soon on limited edition cassette from Gloss Records, will also feature vocals from NO/NO’s Cat Ries, and will be mixed by Kiing’s Sean Foran. If that’s not enough to get you excited for the project, then you’re [insert ’80s reference here].
Listen to “Fire Escape” now, only at Milwaukee Record.