The track opens with a masterclass in atmospheric tension. Sparse analog synth tones hover like spectral presences, their timbres warm yet distant, immediately establishing a sense of spatial depth that many bedroom producers spend entire careers failing to achieve. This isn't the gratuitous reverb wash of lesser artists; rather, it's a carefully constructed architecture of sound, where each element occupies its own sonic territory. The production values recall the meticulous layering of Boards of Canada, though filtered through a European sensibility more attuned to the melodic sensibilities of Jean-Michel Jarre than to the duo's pastoral melancholy.
What distinguishes "Into the Light" from countless other instrumental electronic offerings is its patient sense of narrative development. The steady rhythmic pulse, when it finally emerges, doesn't announce itself with the bombast typical of EDM or even the more aggressive strains of techno. Instead, it accrues gradually, a heartbeat that seems to have been present all along, merely waiting for the listener to notice. This structural patience—the refusal to deliver immediate gratification—speaks to a maturity of vision increasingly rare in our algorithmically-optimised musical landscape.
The synth work itself deserves particular attention. Tache clearly understands the textural possibilities of analog synthesis, coaxing from his equipment tones that feel simultaneously vintage and contemporary. The evolving layers suggest someone who's studied not merely the surface aesthetics of synthwave but its deeper connections to kosmische musik, Italo disco, and the more cerebral corners of Detroit techno. The melodic fragments that emerge through the atmospheric haze possess an almost vocal quality, singing without words, conveying emotional states that lyrics might only diminish.
The accompanying music video—assuming it follows the sonic template laid down by the audio—would presumably traffic in the expected neon-lit cityscapes and retro-futuristic imagery. Yet if Tache applies the same intelligence to his visual choices as he does to his sonic ones, one might hope for something more conceptually rigorous. The title "Into the Light" suggests transformation, emergence, perhaps even transcendence—themes that reward visual interpretation beyond mere aesthetic pastiche.
The compositional arc from introspection to uplift, as described in the press materials, unfolds with convincing organic logic. This isn't the abrupt gear-shift of a DJ set or the formulaic build-and-drop of contemporary dance music. Rather, it's a gradual blooming, a sunrise rendered in synthesizer tones. By the track's conclusion, when the various elements have finally coalesced into something approaching euphoria, the journey feels earned rather than manufactured.
SLAPPER's international radio support across Italy, France, Spain, the United States, and Mexico suggests that this music transcends linguistic and cultural boundaries—hardly surprising for instrumental work, but noteworthy nonetheless. The track's cinematic qualities make it equally suited to headphone introspection and late-night radio broadcast, that liminal space where electronic music has always felt most at home.
"Into the Light" positions SLAPPER as an artist capable of honouring his influences whilst simultaneously pushing beyond them. It's electronic music with emotional intelligence, synthwave with substance, a reminder that genre conventions can be starting points rather than destinations. Whether this trajectory continues remains to be seen, but for now, Tache has delivered something genuinely worthwhile.