As one of the best exponents of the raising retrowave / synthwave movement, Jon Siejka aka MAGIC DANCE is a talent that has an unmatched ability to invoke nostalgia. Combining electronic-generated sounds with more traditional rock instruments, ’80s inspired synthesis and dulcet vocals, Siejka crafts songs that are refreshingly new and comfortably familiar.
Now he’s reissuing on CD the Magic Dance second full album, including bonus tracks. ”The Mirror Of Dreams [CD reissue with bonus tracks]”, with inspiration drawn from the music of cult TV shows like Miami Vice or Airwolf to classic ’80s movie soundtracks, synthpop and heart-wrenching ballads, it’s incredibly difficult to not love this CD once you get a taste of it.
Despite of being based on synthesizers (usually tagged as ‘cold’) the music of Magic Dance is more soulful, heartfelt, and quite frankly, more sincere than many ‘flesh & blood’ rock acts.
With every track here, Jon Siejka transports you to the era when music was fun, had melody and you wanted to dance without being a guilty pleasure.
From the feel-good poppy ‘The Mirror of Dreams’, to the AORish feel of ‘In Their Eyes’, the pumpy ‘The Starchild’ and the highly melody of ‘One Step Away (Is This For Real)’, every song Magic Dance / Siejka produced oozes with the blood, sweat, tears and emotion he puts into his work, and it’s hard not to be enamored by someone who puts their everything into their passion.
If you are an ’80s beast, grown or not in that decade, but love its culture and musical sounds, Magic Dance is a mandatory listen.
Highly Recommended
1 The Mirror Of Dreams 5:48
2 In Their Eyes 5:14
3 The Starchild 4:21
4 Lay Me Down 4:22
5 A World Of Wonder 4:43
6 Tonight 4:45
7 Everything’s Dancing 3:31
8 The Unknown Beyond 5:20
Bonus Tracks
9 One Step Away (Is This For Real) 4:00
10 DuckTales – The Moon (80s Synth Version) 2:56
11 A Real Adventure (Zelda II Opening Theme – 80s Synth Version) 3:53
12 Secrets (Original 2012 Demo) 4:52