Out recording artist Riotron recently released his latest single, “Dark Highway,” an evocative slice of retro-wave pop matched with a visual that’s a throwback to the cinematic music videos of the 1980s complete with storytelling, animation and special effects.
“’Dark Highway’ is a metaphor for all bad decisions we make,” says Riotron’s Jeff Fettes. “You’re going too fast, you’re out of control but you don’t stop. And then suddenly you can’t stop.”
“For the video, I wanted to pay tribute to some of my favorite 80’s videos,” added Fettes. “There’s horror, sci-fi, and even some hand-drawn animation.”
Director Gianennio Salucci acknowledges the concept from the start was more “short film than music video,” as the team focused on the story of “a person’s journey through the dark side.”
The brainchild of singer/songwriter Jeff Fettes, Riotron is an electro-pop project from Winnipeg, Canada that explores a hybrid of music styles including 80s synthwave, EDM and a touch of jazz.
The project’s name is derived from the hit song ‘Rio’ by Duran Duran and the 1982 fantasy sci-fi film Tron.
The track has an ominous 1980s-era Phil Collins ‘In The Air Tonight’ vibe with heavy drum pads and an excellent guitar solo. And the video’s mix of darkness, animated alternate universes, and twists in the storytelling (a la ‘Thriller’) complete the throwback fun in mini-movie fashion.
Hit the play button and enjoy. Follow Riotron on Instagram here.
