The Midnight
Awash in the slinky pastel-hued pop of the 1980s, retro-synthwave duo the Midnight emerged out of Los Angeles in the mid-2000s alongside the similarly minded revivalists FM-84 and Dutch act Timecop1983. They garnered buzz with their 2016 debut, Endless Summer, before becoming best-sellers on the Bandcamp platform with their 2017 EP Nocturnal -- eventually notching a number 17 ranking on Billboard's dance/electronic chart later that year. Along cracking the Top 20 of the dance/electronic chart with both 2018's Kids and 2020's Monsters, the Midnight have continued to expand their sound, putting together a full ensemble for 2022's Heroes.
The Midnight features American singer Tyler Lyle and Danish producer Tim McEwan. The two met in Hollywood in 2012 at a co-writing workshop and connected over a mutual love for retro '80s soft rock and synth pop, and the soundtrack to the 2011 film Drive. Lyle, a Georgia-bred singer/songwriter with ties to country music, largely handled the vocals, while the Danish-born, L.A.-based McEwan acted as producer in the collaboration. Beginning with 2014's six-song Days of Thunder LP, the Midnight's music was characterized by bright, pulsing synth pop with sizzling electric guitar flourishes and smooth sax solos underscoring Lyle's earnest tenor vocals.
Their 2016 full-length debut, Endless Summer, followed in a similarly neon-nostalgic fashion and, like their debut, received a second release containing instrumental versions of the songs. Released in October 2017, the Nocturnal EP rose to the best-seller rank on Bandcamp and jumped onto the Billboard dance/electronic chart, just as the band began playing their first live shows.
The duo's sophomore full-length, Kids, arrived in 2018. Inspired by the show Stranger Things, it found the group shifting somewhat away from their neon-noir style and embracing a more upbeat vibe. It hit number 12 on the dance/electronic chart. Heralded by the singles "America Online" and "Deep Blue," Monsters arrived in July 2020 and again featured a blend of '80s-inspired synth pop and Blade Runner-esque neon atmosphere. It also fared well, reaching number three on the dance/electronic albums chart and landing on the Billboard 200.
Following the 2021 EPs Horror Show and The Rearview Mirror, the Midnight returned with their fourth full-length, 2022's Heroes. The album found the duo having fleshed out their lineup into a full band, both for the recording and live shows. It also marked the completion of a trilogy that included 2018's Kids and 2020's Monsters.
© Timothy Monger /TiVo
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Dance With Somebody
Electronic - Released by Counter Records on 10 Jun 2020
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo -
Brooklyn. Friday. Love.
Electronic - Released by Counter Records on 3 Aug 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Nocturnal (The Instrumentals) (Instrumental)
Dance - Released by The Midnight Music, LLC on 15 Dec 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Rearview Mirror
Alternative & Indie - Released by The Midnight Music, LLC on 23 Jul 2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Legend Has Begun
Folk - Released by Friendly Folk Records on 21 Jan 2019
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Arcade Dreams (Timecop1983 Remix)
Chill-out - Released by Monstercat on 13 Sep 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Heart Worth Breaking
Electronic - Released by Counter Records on 24 Aug 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Deep Blue (Droid Bishop Remix)
Electronic - Released by Counter Records on 17 Sep 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Endless Summer (The Instrumentals)
Dance - Released by The Midnight Music, LLC on 3 Aug 2016
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shadows (Uppermost Remix)
Dance - Released by Monstercat on 23 Aug 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Crystalline
Dance - Released by The Midnight Music, LLC on 29 Sep 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Vampires
Dance - Released by The Midnight Music, LLC on 10 Jun 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Synthetic (Remixes)
House - Released by Monstercat on 18 Dec 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kids (The Instrumentals) (Instrumental)
Dance - Released by The Midnight Music, LLC on 14 Sep 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo