The cover – which is rich with shades of pinks and purples, features a bespectacled and smiling Zelda – with Master Sword earrings, natch – emblazoned under a starry night sky, with the Tri-Force symbol behind her, and mountains rising up from a neon checker design that stretches into the horizon.
This artwork (courtesy of ONSTA) is GLORIOUS. There are nods throughout - in the designs and clothing - of Zelda to the franchise, whilst being a vibrant, stylish piece of art in its own right – it completely conjures up the melding of Zelda and synthwave in incredible detail, awesome stuff.
The rear cover art furthers the landscape set out on the front with the Duelling Peaks, black palm trees and that neon pattern drenched in hues of – again – pinks and purples. It’s very evocative of the ‘80s, and I wouldn’t have been surprised to see Don Johnson tucked away in there somewhere….wearing wicker shoes with no socks in sight.
The records are ensconced in anti-static sleeves and comes on double red/purple, pressed at 45RPM. – again, the colour choice and inner-circle design are completely in tune with the rest of the artwork, it’s a very mood-setting record, even when taken at first glance.
Opening the cover shows off the illustration that is spread across the double gatefold sleeve, a starry Zelda on a pink motorbike surrounded in a fuzzy dreamscape – a smile still plastered across her face. On the right-hand side are the track listing and credits, the blues of these pages breaking up the external colours whilst also being a thematic match.
Side A:
Lost Woods – Washy synth and a deeply electronic beat kicks in as a buzzing melodic line cuts through, it’s all laconic 4/4 electronica, hi-hat trills and waves, a wonderfully dreamy start to the album that completely sets the tone. The big tones for this simple melody give a lot of room for the production and space to shine. Within seconds the mood is set – in my mind, I am Zelda, racing through the neon roads on that futuristic bike, lights fizzing past me as the night bleeds away into the distance.
Outrun Islands - A more lo-fi start teases here, until a quite surprisingly cheerful and crunchy electric guitar kicks in over that kick/snare beat. Broken up by gentle military rolls and the ever-present enormous synth work, this completely accurately continues the sense of this being a lost ‘80s soundtrack to a Zelda movie. I have to give props to the mastering by DJ Cutman as this is big and clean, the pressing has a snappiness to it that makes each track pop.
Tarrey Town Sunsets - The blend between the preceding track and this one is divine, adding to that sense of an album with real cohesion. As Outrun Islands fades out, Tarrey Town Sunsets takes over seamlessly and quickly builds to a big old synth locked into that unrelenting 4/4 kick and snare beat. It’s a busier, glassier melody that leads the way this time around, giving beachy vibes. The big, squelchy bass on the downscale here leads to a classic muffled build that reminded me of the ‘90s electronica style of songwriting before again restarting and repeating the motif. It’s a lilting, gentle track that calms the soul and eventually fades away into space
Dark World – A track that was an early favourite of mine, I love the hi-hat work on this, it spices up that retro ‘80s 4/4 beat that features on a lot of the music in this genre. It really is surprising how much a tweak on a beat or production can add variety to songs, especially over repeated listens. It ups the ante on this, switching it over from being a lazy, dreamy track to a driving beat with swarming, swirling melodies that cover you in a layer of aural smoke.
Prince Sidon – Another example of perfect, perfect blending between tracks and astonishing choices in terms of album sequencing, this follows on so well it’s almost beautiful. Big, echoing drums and melancholic runs on keyboard lines that play off against each other. The hi-hat gets more pronounced over the introductory bars before the songs drop off, leaving piano and keyboard battling into the night sky. As the track comes back into the fray, there’s an edgier punch to the proceedings, adding guts to the track.
Side B:
Song of Storms - A song that has always brought a smile to my face on the many versions that I have heard throughout the years, is here given a new lease of life with the shimmering keys and quivering electric guitar. It’s a simple, short, and pretty repetitive track that HELYNT manages to breathe real character into here, glorious stuff!
Ocarina of Time Travel – THIS is tasty. One of the most recognisable moments in Zelda history, this melody is so basic that it can almost just be relied upon in its standard form, but of course, HELYNT wraps us all in cotton with this, a phat and luxurious ‘80s version of the song. Let those notes wash over you as you race along that neon highway of memory, alone.
Revali’s Gale – A song that almost sounds like a lost MGMT track at the start, the rest of the instrumentation soon hones in properly and the hi-hat switches from 8ths to 16ths to add and remove pace from the track. A song that feels quite ‘bitty’ but also reverential in its melodic choices. As with Ocarina of Time Travel, this is a song that effectively repeats itself twice, but – due to the fact that this is working off an incredibly simple, ‘heart’ melody is absolutely fine! Because those melodies are good.
Kakariko Village – Muted, and very ‘Amiga’ in its introductory build, I was swept away by this. There’s a certain sense of luxuriating in each note that bleeds through the whole song adds a wonderful laziness, and the held buzz of some melodies feels almost like a nod to Matt Grey’s work on the Commodore 64. This is a track that grows and has layers and character to boot. I’m a sucker for tracks that start off all quaint and fun and then smother me with emotion, so this is a winner in my eyes
Side C:
Fairy Fountain – Tribal toms and searching synth start us off here, it’s an extremely well-known melody from the franchise, and again – HELYNT adds their own character to the track, switching from lightly militaria snare to heavier drums and eventually opening up to a true ‘80s vibe, drenched in synth. It’s an oddly feel-good song and somehow reminds me of those ‘80s movies where people are all dancing in a room, but with strangely bored expressions on their faces. Me? I’d be at the bar ordering more tequila.
Kokiri Forest – This one is so bright and poppy that it almost feels like a novelty song when placed in between the beasts that surround it. It’s a nod to the lighter side of things, but it does feel slightly out of place on this mood-driven aural journey that HELYNT is taking us on.
Bamboo Island – It’s back to the ol’ heavy n’ slow. This is a really laid-back beat with crunchy synth cutting through, washed by atmospherics. The guitar-like samples and slow bass beats add texture and variation, bringing us back from that tongue-in-cheek approach of Kokiri Forest to a more threat-laden aural landscape that I have to admit, is completely working for me.
Gerudo Town – Low-slung electronica bass drives in here, along with a zippy version of the main melody, it oddly feels like it could have been taken from a modern Sonic game in some moments, there’s a wonderfully odd positivity tucked away in between the moody beat and synth.
Mipha’s Grace – Very separate in its placing as a quite distinctively jagged pop song, the warm bass belies the edginess of the melodies that hack and meet the drums in certain moments, it’s quite an idiosyncratic song on the soundtrack that stands out for its oddness, I was getting John Carpenter vibes in some moments here.
Side D:
Sacred Grove – A lo-fi melodic climb kicks off here, joined by a squelchy synth and a cavernous electronic backbeat. This is another song that has many variations across the universe, but I do like HELYNT’s swampy approach here, there’s a midnight spaciousness that permeates the track, even though it - again - is a simple and repetitious melody. None of the tracks here outstays their welcome, and in cases such as this, feel perfectly paced.
Hyrule Field – Quite a busy and staccato melody tied to a pulsing beat, the echoing simplicity of this feels innocent and fresh. The instrumental swells and rushes are here, but it does capture the raw openness of someone dashing across a field on horseback – a great audio version of a very specific – and iconic – moment in the Zelda catalogue.
Tarrey Town – The penultimate track on the album, moving away from the breeziness of the preceding track, Tarrey Town revisits the vibe of the earlier track and gives a mellower impression of the song. The inclusion here does feel like a bonus B-side but succeeds in giving the sense of a mellowing end to the album as a whole.
Legend of Zelda – Here we are, the end to a wonderfully ‘80s synth rendition to an imagines retro movie of the Zelda franchise, and this pulls out all the stops. After teasing the listener with the theme, a sneaky slow drum roll leads up to the gold that millions of gamers have been enjoying over decades. It’s quite impressive how locked this album is to a 4/4 beat! This is a great final song choice as it encapsulates so much for so many.
SUMMARY
The Legend of Synthwave absolutely nails what it sets out to do, this is an album crafted with love and skill from all involved, from the artwork to the designs to the mixing and mastering.
The Legend of Synthwave is a perfectly polished, clean and crisp duo of vinyl that shows a different side to the music of the Zelda franchise, and stands out from the pack with its character and production.
I personally found a few of the tracks ended rather suddenly, but hey – there’s a lot of gold to fit on that wax!
US – Light in the Attic
EU: HHV Records / Black Screen Records
From the product website:
Explore deeper into the world of Hyrule in this expansion on Helynt’s modern classic, The Legend of Synthwave Deluxe — featuring eight never-before-heard Legend of Zelda remixes and an entirely remastered tracklist!
The Legend of Synthwave Deluxe is the Zelda music you know and love, reimagined as an 80s synthwave soundtrack. Now with eight new and exclusive remixes of favourites from Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Breath of the Wild, producer Helynt makes this his biggest album yet with 18 show-stopping synth tracks.
Helynt is the music producer and guitarist behind Mario & Chill and the Super Lofi World series. The Legend of Synthwave Deluxe is an expansion and remastering of the original 2020 release, featuring new tracks and an entirely remastered collection.
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