Matthew Nowhere, hailing from the San Francisco Bay Area and now residing amidst the verdant tranquility of Nevada County’s Sierra Mountains, presents his radiant debut album, Crystal Heights. A sonic love letter to the 1980s, the 13-track offering pays homage to new wave classics with lush, synth-crafted songs wrapped in analog warmth.
Fans of classic and contemporary artists such as OMD, Drab Majesty, New Order, Depeche Mode, The Psychedelic Furs, The Church, ACTORS, Nation of Language, and more will find much to love here. Described by Nowhere as “embracing of a forgotten part of early childhood, and a celebration of all the incredible creativity that was everywhere at the time,” this record feels like an evocative transmission from the past that resonates brilliantly today.
“Music to me is literally magic,” Matthew states. “I am transforming feelings into sounds. And if I’m going to do that kind of alchemy, the feelings I want to share are ones that are meaningful and transformative. Life is wild and mysterious, and it doesn’t always make sense. But the important things—connection, love—are always grounding and I can’t think of anything else I want to focus my life on.”
Joining forces with dreamgaze stalwarts Lunar Twin, comprised of vocalist Bryce Boudreau and multi-instrumentalist Christopher Murphy, Nowhere explores evocative and dream-like terrains, notably in the tracks “Transforming” and “Persist3nce.” Directed by Zoey Nguyen with additional footage from Simona Lonardo Cinematography in Italy, the luminous visuals for “Transforming” encapsulate an ineffable dreaminess.
“I was swept away by the grandeur of Matthew’s music,” says Bryce Boudreau. “I immediately envisioned a coastal night world populated by dreamers and drifting souls caught in between the dusk and dawn of coastal neon. The rest of story wrote itself.”
“Transforming” encapsulates the nostalgic longing and shimmering beauty of the entire LP. The track reflects on themes of dreams, transformation, and the passage of time, crafting a landscape of crystal-clear synth textures and hauntingly nostalgic imagery, bringing listeners into a neon-lit reverie.
Watch the video “Transforming” featuring Lunar Twin below:
Transmission kicks off proceedings with a digital shimmer, its robotic incantations setting an ambitious tone, hinting at a futurist nostalgia wrapped in synthetic warmth.
Love is Only What We Are blooms into a melancholy reverie, effortlessly balancing buoyancy and wistfulness, exploring existential questions of love’s purpose amidst radiant guitars and lush electronic textures.
Echoes Still Remain delves into shadowy realms of midnight introspection, conjuring cinematic atmospheres drenched in reflective melancholy, where ephemeral visions merge with whispered remembrances.
The title track, Crystal Heights, pulses with nocturnal disco urgency and gleaming synths. A Moroder-esque heartbeat underpins meditations on transformative love, electric trust, and romantic abandon.
The brief sonic immersion of Aquatic Envelopment serves as an elegant palate cleanser. Its delicate textures suggest submerged tranquility and ascension toward sparkling clarity.
Have You Ever Known circles hypnotically around love’s elusive essence, its repeated lyrical questions forming an entrancing loop amidst shimmering, expansive synth layers.
With Ruby Shards, Nowhere pivots towards brighter post-punk territory, channeling New Order’s rhythmic vitality to explore emotional fragmentation, resilience, and the healing power of connection.
The celestial synthscape of interlude Stellar Enfoldment provides an ethereal bridge, lifting listeners momentarily from terrestrial concerns toward astral contemplation.
Everything’s True fuses brooding atmospherics with passionate vocal intensity, crafting a rich emotional interplay between darkness and wonder, love and existential revelation.
Silver Glass introduces reggae-inflected rhythms into cosmic synth territories, painting a reflective scene akin to a midnight shoreline meditation, rich with themes of introspection, uncertainty, and reunion.
Epic and expansive, Persist3nce (feat. Lunar Twin & The Antonio Family Singers) combines soulful introspection and majestic choral harmonies, exploring themes of isolation, perseverance, and the transformative power of art amidst lush electronic vistas.
The album concludes with Crystalline Emergence, a gentle retro-futuristic lullaby evoking delicate iridescence and reflective calm, leaving listeners gently suspended in a serene afterglow.
Listen to Crystal Heights Below:
Crystal Heights was produced by Matthew Nowhere and co-produced by Bryce Boudreau, recorded across multiple locations, including Nowhere Sound in Grass Valley, CA, Tiny Flame Studios in Petaluma, CA, Ohia Forest Recordings in Kealekua, Hawaii, and Desert Heat Studio in Salt Lake City, Utah. Mixed and mastered at Nowhere Sound Studios
As of May 23, Crystal Heights is available on various music platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, and Bandcamp. The album will be released in digital format and on limited-edition transparent blue vinyl.
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