Scythe – ‘Middle8’ review

What does Scythe sound like?

Chiptune for sunshine days.

The review of ‘Middle8’ by Scythe

Now on their 8th album, Scythe has carved out a poppy chiptune niche for themselves over the years. Most of their output is poppy, bright, and breezy. They use Furnace, a chiptune tracker, to create their music and depending on the settings, Scythe will bring a very specific sound to you. For ‘middle8’, we’ve got a mid-to-late 90s vibe, where the 16-bit and the 32-bit collide.

The distinctive PS1-era sound means we get bleep-bloop leads, but bit-crushed and hissy drum loops. You’ll hear distinctive electric pianos, wind instruments that are very synthetic but no longer pierce the ear, and a melting of layers of retro sounds. Scythe’s mood for the album is a seaside village, and so most of the songs are breezy, snazzy, and laid-back whilst being uptempo. That means after the soft opening of ‘青く、そして金色’ (Blue and Gold), you’ll get back-to-back bangers. ‘シーグラス’ (Seaglass) sounds like a chirpy, upbeat village theme song from a PS1 or N64 adventure game. It has jazzy overtones that are leaned into progressively harder as different synth instruments take the lead from the retro synth. Then ‘ゴースの丘’ (Goss Hill) brings in a club beat, power chords, and a catchy main melody. It’s all underscored with jazzy piano that evokes everything you need from a score clear or character select screen. One for playing on repeat, I must admit.

The merger of lazy Sunday vibes and poppy chiptune continues with ‘君のいない午後は’ (An Afternoon Without You). Here, a more realistic drum set is swapped in, still bit-crushed, but sounding more poppier than electronic. Indeed, this track is written as if the lead chip-synth is a vocal line. There are backing vocal harmonies, and all of the other instruments stay very much in their lane. I’d love to know if there are original lyrics to the track that the synth “sings”, but it feels chart-adjacent. Sounding more like an action platformer, ‘そばにいたいよ’ (I want to be by your side) reminds me so much of Space Harrier. I think it’s the chipset used. The chipset puts the keys front and centre, whilst the drums sound closer to static bursts rather than sounding like individual drums. Musically, the track is anthemic and driving. It feels cosy whilst also strident and self-assured. Scythe writes tracks like this so well.

‘Lapwing’ is perfect for lazing on the sunbed. The swing beat and saxochip lead work so well together. The verses have a structured sass to them because the instruments lack reverb, and Scythe lets punctuated silence become an instrument on its own. When the middle eight or chorus hits, more bombastic drums hit, and the saxochip lets rip to make them feel more anthemic. It’s the hand-waving track of the album. ‘幻肢痛’ (Phantom Limb Pain) follows with its staccato synth stab melody dressed up in midweek chore delivery. The hip-hop-infused beats mixed with snazzy fuzz chords work nicely for a different change of pace. ‘キュアノスブルー’ (Curanos Blues) is about as close to Outrun as the album gets. Scythe leans into Latin seaside flair with some bossa nova twists inside a pacy beat. Again, it’s a different flavour of the laid-back fun life, and the chorus melody is one of those oddly simple noodles that will get stuck in your head long after listening.

The final two tracks on the album are both chirpy anthems. Both ‘タイムマシン’ (Time Machine) and ‘もっと知りたい’ (Want to know more) have jangle, flair, upbeat melodies and a hint of finality about them. The former is faster, using light and airy arpeggios to feel like we’re in flight or in motion. The latter has a chunky bounce to it and lots of till register pings and triangle clinks to play with. Both often lack a bass end, or have it reduced, as if to signal that we’re on a comedown to landing. Either could be end credit pieces.

Maybe the play on words is about the 8th album, rather than the middle 8 or bridge of a song, but I half expected every song to have a defined middle eight bridge to match the album title. Not all of them have a defined, unique bridge, but all the tracks encompass a lazy, sunny, regenerative mood. If you want some chiptune music for your slower-paced holidays, ‘Middle8’ is the perfect accompaniment.

Recommended track: そばにいたいよ

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