Beat the Monday blues with a motivating song to get you going through the rest of the day, maybe even the rest of the week. Today’s music is “Club Rumble” by Starfarer x M.K. Khan.
Starfarer is the musical pseudonym of Miguel, an American synthwave producer and heavy metal musician from Monterey Bay, California. He started making music in middle school, drawing inspiration from rock and metal bands like Metallica, Megadeth, and Pantera. His passion for music led him to join Miseria, a metalcore band that performed several shows and released two albums before disbanding in 2016.
Starfarer started as a project that originated from an encounter on Reddit. After relocating to San Jose to be near his girlfriend, Miguel joined Game of Bands, a subreddit hosting songwriting contests every two weeks. Teams of three (lyricist, composer, singer) create songs based on a given theme. Miguel’s involvement in an electronic music round led him to explore electronic music production further.
Miguel soon found some retro art elsewhere on Reddit, leading him to explore the 80s-inspired musical pastiche that is synthwave music. Inspired by artists like Kavinsky, Lazerhawk and Waveshaper, he embraced the genre after Game of Bands introduced an 80s theme. The result of this round was “Assimilator,” which featured on Starfarer’s self-titled album. Since then, Miguel has released 6 more albums (including a 5-year reissue of “Starfarer”), 12 singles (including today’s feature), and 1 extended play under the Starfarer name.
Starfarer is well-known in the synthwave scene for his unique brand of space-inspired Sci-fi EDM, as well as his Synth & Brews Podcast and Synth Valley Production Stream Fests which he organised from October 2020 to September 2021. In the early days of the Synth & Brews Podcast, Miguel reviewed a beer and discussed synthwave artists, but the format quickly evolved into interviews with artists, providing an escape from the isolation imposed by the pandemic lockdown. It soon became a platform for reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. The podcast has featured a stellar line-up, including Glitbiter, Vampire Step-Dad, and Watch Out For Snakes.
Miguel embraced the idea of performing live after attending a local synthwave show. He dedicated six months to practice before his successful SynthcityPDX show in Portland, Oregon. This motivated him to launch Synth Valley Productions, so he could organise concerts throughout California’s Bay Area under one formal banner. One of Synth Valley Productions’ early projects was Compilation Vol 1, featuring tracks from various artists and establishing the name as a known brand within the scene. As global restrictions on large gatherings were implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, the growing live music scene very quickly fell silent. Synth Valley Productions’ Stream Fests emerged as a uniting force during an otherwise desolate time, showcasing synthwave acts from around the world directly to people’s homes. These streaming events significantly expanded the scene’s reach, allowing fans to enjoy their favourite musicians and discover new ones.
Miguel now lives in Denver, Colorado with his previously mentioned San Jose girlfriend. She is now his wife and the mother of his offspring.
This is not the first Monday Music to feature M.K. Khan, click here to find more information about this artist.
Want to hear more music by Starfarer and M.K. Khan? Click the links for their Bandcamp pages!
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