Ears Wide Open: Satchmode

Kevin Bronson on November 10th, 2015

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Don’t get faked out by the Louis Armstrong reference in the name of L.A. duo Satchmode. This ain’t jazz, and there’s nary a horn to be found in the synth-pop of Gabe Donnay and Adam Boukis, although both have experience playing many styles of music, including jazz and folk. Here, though, they join the legions of melody-makers at their rigs gently nudging the ’80s forward, mixing dreamy romanticism and disco lite. They’ve released an EP each of the last two years, including August’s well-received “Afterglow.” As hard as it is to find any synth-pop duo with any real sense of identity — so many are merely competent artisans — Satchmode’s new single “Further Away” does offer a squishy movie moment, complete with warm synths, intimate falsetto and the lament that love is slipping away. Satchmode aims to slip fans a full-length album in 2016.

||| Stream: “Further Away”