Martin´s review: PornCoreSynthRock 2 by Peter Zimmermann

An Intensive Arcade Dream!

Have you ever wanted to get an album that is is essentially a great mix between a video game soundtrack and a cool synthwave dive? Well, here it is. The well-known PornCoreSynthRock2 which became an instant hit for all fans of the genre has recently been a favorite of my BandCamp listening sessions lately. Let me tell you more about it!

Game On! A Great Soundtrack and Music for Your Imagination

The reason why I picked up the album for the first time was the praise I received about it on various synthwave online communities. Having seen how the vinyl record release was grabbed by so many people I instantly knew that this was something not to miss. It took me only a few moments later to purchase the digital album and start listening to it on my morning walks. As several of my listening sessions were in the bright sunlight I had the opportunity to really dive deep into the music. And yes, I can say that it is definitely worth my time.

The main focus seems to be to build up memorable memories from our childhood – playing great video games and those scrolling role playing games with anime characters. From what I can tell the album is really a “Mission success!” – it evoked so much emotions and vibes in me that I had to relisten to it several times. At this time I cannot really say which is the best track for me – all of them are pieces that are composed for their own emotive states.

However there are some remarks that I would like to point out – this is not a light listen. Staring from the beginning there are many dynamic and beat intensive moments which can fit perfectly in a sports driving game – I can really imagine playing it. The next moment there Japanese console-style RPG character theme style soundtracks and the variety continues to extend as the album unfolds further.

Great Diversity of Sounds and Emotions: Not To Be Missed!

In my opinion the album deserves to be owned by as many people as possible – each track brings a certain message that can be easily read, especially if you have grown playing video games. On my second and third listening of the first half of the album I stumbled upon the idea that the compositions can be very well adapted to literature as well. Do you remember those fan fiction stories of popular games available on forums and sites like WattPad? Well, PornCoreSynthRock2 is suitable for that too!

By design the album has focused on the Japanese aspect of gaming – there are very strong influences from the likes of Akira which is clearly evident. However upon taking a few listens there are so much more uses for it than a general-purpose synthwave album. Also I disagree that the styling is from the 90s – its actually cross-generative as the tracks can be easily implemented in any modern game as well. They are just that good!

If you are not yet convinced I would like to point out that the mastering done by Mr. Zimmermann is phenomenal! Also consider the COOL factor in owning a sexy release – look at that sexy cover art! I don’t collect vinyl records, but damn I might as well soon because of this album.


Released July 8, 2020
MASTERED FOR DIGITAL & VINYL BY PETER ZIMMERMANN