Artist: rx1f

Single: ‘Accidents;’ Producer: Paul Schuegraf; Included on the album, ‘r8c180,’ released on November 13, 2022

The most enduring pop songs thrive on musicians’ ability to romanticize the possibilities of the unknown, and their ambitions to secure desirable circumstances that are just out of their reach. Vancouver-based singer-songwriter-producer, rx1f is following in the footsteps of such fellow electronic pop and rock musicians as David Bowie and Jimi Hendrix, who became enamored with the possibilities of life on other planets after the first moon landing in 1969, and is infusing his musings about space in his tracks.

The latest album from rx1f, the 13-track electronica-synth pop ‘r8c180,’ is an exploration and celebration of a life lived beyond earth. The singer recently released the first entry from the record, ‘Accidents,’ as a single, which champions his unique style and he dubbed music for robots. Both the tune and LP are not only themed around space, but genuinely sound like space. .

The musician wrote ‘r8c180’ as an end-to-end re-imagination of a maximalist indie punk album he made with a friend a few years ago, which he can no longer bear to listen to anymore. Shortly after finishing the previous record, he saw a documentary about the 808, which led him to feel connected to, and interested in making, electronic music.

To accompany the distribution of ‘Accidents’ as a single, the electronic musician innovator also released an aurally and visually immersive music video. The video thrives on its use of samples from NASA and other space-related sources, including an earth whistler, which is a radio wave that’s caused by lightning in the atmosphere.

Similar to such electronica-synth pop-rock bands and musicians as Daft Punk, Tame Impala, Peter Gabriel and Elvis Costello, rx1f, who’s also an instrumentalist, composer and music tech enthusiast, cleverly infused the 808 into the production of ‘Accidents.’ The 808, which is a drum machine that defined the sound of techno, house and dance music in the 1980s and ’90s, infuses the song’s instrumentals and vocals with a futuristic and electronic spin.

The video for ‘Accidents’ delivers on the singer’s vision, as it opens with a clip from a space launch and the 808-style synth sound design. Through a stunning mix of vintage and modern cinematography, the video is also filled with neon-infused lights and images of astronauts floating while they explore other planets, as humanity embraces its ever-evolving relationship with space and technology.

The musician also contemplates whether technology facilitates humanity, or if it’s bound to destroy modern society, throughout the track. But he eventually comes to accept the fact that there aren’t any accidents in life, as everything eventually happens the way its supposed to, and people find their way in what initially appears to be an endless void.

‘Accidents’ and its accompanying music video enthrallingly pay tribute to the past, when people first became enamored with the possibilities of life on other planets, while also dreaming about the future. The single and its video’s textures range from the simplicity of the early synth-pop sound of the ’80s through the expert use of the 808, to the expansive modern and futuristic cinematography and lighting, which connect people from all backgrounds in a time of isolation.

Throughout the tune, rx1f proves what an innovative electronic vocalist, lyricist and instrumentalist he is with his exploration and celebration of a life lived beyond earth. ‘Accidents’ is the perfect example of his innate ability to continuously move forward in the universe, while also honoring his past.

For more information on rx1f, visit his official website, as well as his Spotify, Bandcamp, SoundCloud and YouTube pages.