Watch Out For Snakes - Upgrade

Between the popularity of Stranger Things and a resurgence in appreciation for the work of John Carpenter, synthwave seems to have hit the mainstream again. As synthwave acts continue to proliferate SoundCloud and receive critical accolades, the genre has splintered and grown tentacles which reach into techno, ambient, goth, and, in Matt Baum’s case, chiptunes. On his debut album under the moniker Watch Out For Snakes, Baum captures the tension of arcade classics while embracing the nostalgia of '80s synth-pop. Even if you didn’t grow up playing the games that spawned the most iconic chiptune sounds, Baum’s 8-bit hooks still carry that underlying feeling of panic that comes from losing again and again at whatever side-scroller seemed impossible as a kid.

Rather than follow in the murky darkness of acts like Perturbator, Watch Out For Snakes fits closer to retrowave electronica like Futurecop! and College. Baum’s music is relentlessly tongue-in-cheek, if not outright cheerful. He deftly captures the anticipation of walking into an arcade with a pocket full of quarters and no parents in sight. There’s nothing too spooky on the record, but Baum keeps the tension of sensory overload high with tracks like “Torn” and “Congestion.”

Since the fall of prog-rock, no genre has carried the concept album mantle like synthwave. Whether film or video game inspired, the classics from the genre have all succeeded in dropping the listener into other worlds and weaving entrancing myths. Although Baum’s arcade influences form the structure of the album, the drama of the record is pulled from his own life. Born with a rare genetic disorder, Baum pulled inspiration from his experiences and rewrote it into Upgrade. His history of hospital visits morph into the tale of a hero who receives an experimental surgery that comes with cybernetic powers granted at a terrible cost. Apart from some sampling, there are no vocals on the record, which leaves the listener to decipher the album’s plot, or simply to lose themselves in their own sci-fi adventure. It’s not so much a bug of the record as it is a feature, which is why depending on mood, expansive tracks like “Left Behind” can take on different forms and manifestations.

Due to the nature of the genre, there aren’t many dynamic shifts throughout the LP, but Baum double jumps the 8-bit monotony pitfall with the inclusion of more traditional synthwave parts that fade in with bursts of Miami Beach neon, keeping the record from lingering too long in basement nerd territory. Despite the strength of its concept, Upgrade‘s brightest moments are when Baum indulges his pop sensitivities. The disco-house influences which permeate “The Cut” recall the club more than the arcade, and it’s only the robotic syncopation that reminds the listener that there’s a dystopia lurking behind the sunset.

Watch Out For Snakes will celebrate the release of Upgrade tonight at 529 alongside Gregorio Franco, Acid Gambit, Night Machine, and Sudstep. Doors open at 7 p.m. Admission is $12. 21+ to enter.

More Info
Web: watchoutforsnakestheband.com
Bandcamp: watchoutforsnakestheband.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @watchoutforsnakestheband
Instagram: @watchoutforsnakestheband
SoundCloud: @watchoutforsnakes
Twitter: @watchoutforhsss