Matthew Nowhere releases dazzling synth-soaked ‘Crystal Heights’ album, plus video for ‘Transforming’ ft. Lunar Twin

FOR FANS OF:  OMD, Drab Majesty, New Order, Depeche Mode, The Psychedelic Furs, The Church, ACTORS, Nation of Language, Vision Video
FOCUS TRACKS: Transforming, Echoes Still Remain, Love Is Only What We Are, Crystal Heights, Persist3nce, Ruby Shards
FCC clean (no profanity)


'Crystal Heights' album order https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/matthewnowhere/crystal-heights
Bandcamp  
https://matthewnowhere.bandcamp.com/album/crystal-heights
Spotify  https://open.spotify.com/album/095YDaDCy6TgtRTA6nVvoC
'Transforming' feat. Lunar Twin https://youtu.be/GCUIOEX5Vj4
Get the single  https://tinyurl.com/Matthew-Nowhere-Transforming
'Echoes Still Remain' video  https://youtu.be/UG7OcHfkW1Y
'Love Is Only What We Are' video  https://youtu.be/c8IG0iDVkIA
'Stellar Enfoldment' video  https://youtu.be/XYBwfCO5xRU
'Transmission' video (album teaser)  https://youtu.be/RBd4UldpYfI
Soundcloud  https://soundcloud.com/matthewnowhere


"Full of liquid sonics, shimmering synth waves, numerous poised, interlocking riffs and polished beats, gorgeous electronic textures, and cascades of creativity. It is groovesome and dance-driven, sitting equidistant between the uptown dancefloor’s neon sheen and the more underground world of the delicate and discerning" ~ Big Takeover Magazine

"Pulsing with retro-electronic energy, this music seemingly winds and oscillates at the same time, using contrasting elements of illumination and shadow. Featuring a seductive, synthesizer-driven foundation, this recalls era classics by such artists as Visage, Alphaville and Human League, albeit with a greater reverie factor" ~ The Spill Magazine

"Instant synth-pop classic, summoning the work of Alphaville and Architecture & Morality-era OMD... Buoyed by a soaring and unforgettable chorus, a prowling electro-beat and a pulsing groove" ~ Stereo Embers Magazine

"An epic and majestic slice of electronic pop: lush and rich and as expansive as the rich blue skies over California... glorious: cinematic and threaded through with melancholia" ~ Backseat Mafia


California-based retro-futurist music producer Matthew Nowhere has released 'Crystal Heights' - an intoxicating 13-track dive into the heart of the 1980s. This debut album is a masterclass in nostalgic sound, brimming with irresistible hooks, lush synth arrangements, and a distinct, tape-saturated production that lovingly channels the most invigorating and crystalline elements of new wave classics.

Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and producer Matthew Nowhere explores sounds of the 1980s with inspired reverence, his unique music bringing good vibes, poetic lyrics and gritty new wave beats. Currently residing in California's Nevada County in the forests of the Sierra Mountains, Matthew Nowhere uses analog production styles in creating deeply authentic and soulful music that speaks to the power of love to overcome all obstacles.  

Matthew Nowhere has also unveiled the color-soaked sunlit video for 'Transforming' feat. Lunar Twin, directed by Zoey Nguyen with additional footage from Simona Lonardo Cinematography in Italy, where neon-lit electronica mixes beautifully with Boudreau’s emotive, broody vocal style. Nowhere notes that this video “is deeply resonant and captures something ineffable about the experience I was trying to convey with the song itself".

Dreamgaze mainstays Lunar Twin, made of up vocalist Bryce Boudreau and multi-instrumentalist Christopher Murphy, also feature on the track 'Persist3nce', weaving a superb silky layer into the fabric of this retro-futuristic music. Here, Murphy's  darkwave synth stylings are complemented the angelic choral tones by the Antonio Family Singers.

“I was swept away by the grandeur of Matthew’s music on this song and immediately envisioned  a coastal night world populated by dreamers and drifting souls caught in between the dusk and dawn of coastal neon. The rest of story wrote itself. I’m excited to finally be able share this song," says Bryce Boudreau, adding "I relate to this video a lot having spent so many years living there. It’s like a dream. I love the emotion and images she has used to craft this  secret world".

A self-described "lover and mystic", Matthew Nowhere's lyrics on 'Crystal Heights' explore themes of wonder, transcendence and mystery, consistently emphasizing the importance of love. Though some songs are introspective and melancholy, overall, 'Crystal Heights' is an uplifting album, following a palpable arc of love, growth, and redemption.

With gritty drum machines and analog synths, 'Echoes Still Remain', ‘Crystal Heights’ and 'Love Is Only What We Are' recall synthpop greats such as OMD, Depeche Mode and New Order.  Elsewhere, on ‘Ruby Shards’ and ‘Everything’s True’, Matthew Nowhere delivers a more band-driven sound with echoes of The Church or Psychedelic Furs.

“This album takes another look at something beautiful once rejected. I decided to return to the music that was all around during my childhood, and to explore the entire emotional landscape of those incredibly formative years. 'Crystal Heights' represents an embracing of a forgotten part of early childhood, and a celebration of all the incredible creativity that was everywhere at the time," says Matthew Nowhere.

"Music to me is literally magic. I am transforming feelings into sounds. And if I’m going to do that kind of alchemy, the feelings I want to share are ones that are meaningful and transformative. Life is wild and mysterious, and it doesn’t always make sense. But the important things - connection, love - are always grounding and I can’t think of anything else I want to focus my life on."

'Crystal Heights' is out now, released digitally and on Limited Edition transparent blue vinyl. It is available from fine music platforms, including Apple Music and Spotify with both formats made available exclusively via Bandcamp. ​

CREDITS
Music composed by Matthew Nowhere (Matthew Lin Packard)
Lyrics by Matthew Nowhere
except ‘Transforming’ and ‘Persist3nce’ - lyrics by Bryce Boudreau
Matthew Nowhere - vocals, synths, bass, guitar, drums, drum machines, programing & sequencing
Bryce Boudreau – lead vocals on ‘Transforming’ and ‘Persist3nce’
Chris Murphy – additional synths on ‘Persist3nce’
Antonio Family Singers – choir on ‘Persist3nce’
Produced by Matthew Nowhere. Co-produced by Bryce Boudreau
Mixed & mastered at Nowhere Sound Studios
Recorded at Nowhere Sound (Grass Valley, CA), Tiny Flame Studios (Petaluma, CA), Ohia Forest Recordings (Kealekua, Hawaii), Desert Heat Studio (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Cover artwork by Violet Flame Design
'Transforming' video directed by Zoey Nguyen
Additional stills directed by Simona Lonardo Cinematography (Beneveto, Italy)
Publicity by Shameless Promotion PR

ALBUM TRACK LIST
01. Transmission (Intro)
02. Love Is Only What We Are
03. Echoes Still Remain
04. Crystal Heights
05. Aquatic Envelopment (Interlude)
06. Transforming (Feat. Lunar Twin)
07. Have You Ever Known
08. Ruby Shards
09. Stellar Enfoldment (Interlude)
10. Everything's True
11. Silver Glass
12. Persist3nce (Feat. Lunar Twin & The Antonio Family Singers)
13. Crystalline Emergence (Outro)


Keep up with Matthew Nowhere
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | BlueSky | TikTok | Soundcloud | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify

Keep up with Lunar Twin
Bandcamp | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Threads | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music