Filofax - Rogue FX | Retrowave

Synthwave and all its derivative forms– like retrowave, synthpop and such are genres I have always been fascinated by– for they play around and push the boundaries of how to make sense of circuits making noise. There is no grace in electronics by themselves– producing harsh waves that do not make sense unless in context, a far cry from the tastes of the purist like me– yet when it all falls together, it manages to sound absolutely magical; and “Filofax” by Rogue FX is one of those songs that manage just that. Keep reading my review of “Filofax” to find out just how.

The whole track immediately reminds me of one of those endless racer games at the 80s-90s arcade, with neon lights and fast cars; and I could totally imagine this soundtracking an old-school game of the sort, right off the bat. The instrumentation happens to be beautifully period-accurate, complete with the delightfully corny cowbell hits and the dramatic orchestra hits native to the Yamaha DX7. The drumkit in play here too is just the right sound I have come to expect from any synthwave track I consider well-produced; with one interesting element– the laser shot effect in the background acting as percussion rather than as its intended effect sound– definitely ear candy here, and a lot of it.

The vocals that then come on complement the track rather well, and shift the style of this song from delightful retrowave to a unique combination of pop and old synth-heavy music. The vocals are delivered well and sit right with the rest of the ensemble here. There is plenty of playing around going around all throughout the track, with the kind of ear candy that immediately makes you nostalgic if you know where and what you’re looking for.

Overall, “Filofax” by Rogue FX nails it for me in terms of what a synth-wave track reimagined in 2022 would sound like. I must say, I am a fan of this style of music, especially reinterpreted and redone so. Check “Filofax” by Rogue FX here!