XLN Audio has introduced a brand new XO expansion pack by by synthwave artist Starcadian.
A selection of nostalgia-inducing, 1980s-infused beats and samples, Neon Dreams contains 96 inspiring presets and 221 curated one-shot samples.
Starcadian often describes his songs as “ear movies.” Honestly, nothing could be more fitting. Hearing his music is like finding long-lost soundtracks to cult 1980s fantasy/science fiction films spawned from our collective memory bank’s imagination: lucid dreams of neon and silhouettes against a setting California sun, coated in 16mm film grain.
With this expertly curated XOpak you’ll transport your tracks and mixes to a neon-drenched 1980s in seconds with song-inspiring, fully editable presets fueled by nostalgia-inducing synth arpeggios and hard-hitting kick drums, punchy gated snares, and driving beats in the vein of Kavinsky, Georgio Moroder, John Carpenter, Justice, The Midnight, Com Truise, and SebastiAn. So pop on your Wayfarers, and teleport yourself to a sonic world of top-down Ferarri Testarossas driving into a neon-soaked sunset dowsed in VHS warmth.
Also available is Dusty Gold, featuring head nod-inducing lo-fi beats and samples created by Radio Citizen’s creative mastermind Niko Schabel.
“Dusty Gold” provides the perfect foundations for your next track and a plethora of instantly inspiring songwriting starting points. Fueled by Schabel’s patented alchemy of lo-fi, hip hop, dub, kraut, jazz, blaxploitation soundtracks, ethno-jazz, afrobeat, funk, soul, and cinematic textures, you get access to hand-picked samples that are the cream of the crop of 20+ years of crate digging and incessant vinyl collecting.
“Dusty Gold” is your cheat code to vibe-packed beats and textural soundscapes on par with Massive Attack, Portishead, DJ Shadow, Tricky, the XX, Red Snapper, and Burial. In short, a beatmaker’s dream and the songwriter’s new best friend.
Priced $39 USD each, the XOpaks are available at the XLN Audio store and from distributor Plugin Boutique.
