Mumbai producer Siddarth Chopra is coming out with his debut album as Sulfur Sky soon; his first two singles (‘Time’ came out last month and ‘Redux’ last week) are definitively in the synthwave and synthpop space. The fact that he takes the now well-known sounds of the genre and gets the specific vibe of that world right without messing around with a solid formula is somewhat commendable; the fact that he injects a slightly dark edge into the mix is more so.

This particularly warbly, nocturnal and dark soundscape conjures up images that we find quite familiar today; cityscapes, silhouettes, neon colours, classic cars and so on. Siddarth does use a slightly more upbeat melody on ‘Time’, which is definitely the more poppy of the two singles. Besides the strident synths and drums, the song has much more in common with indie guitars and vocal melodies than ‘Redux’, which is the darker and more immersive track. ‘Time’ does get satisfyingly propulsive in its second half with its heightened energy and wailing vocal layers; there’s something about that tempo and sound that has become connected to driving (yes, Kavinsky and Drive played a part there). However, ‘Redux’ is where this aspect really stands up and is tangibly felt. Just the first ten-odd seconds of the song set up something darker with their Vangelis-like synth lead, and the song has an altogether more subterranean and gloomy vibe. This really hits home in this case; the song’s second half is cavernous and the subtle guitar leads Siddarth uses do nothing but improve the experience. Both tracks generate interest at the very least, and if the album explores darkness and light further, it will be a good ‘un.