Hey everyone!
Today our new CIAO64 single/video “Tears (Down on Me)” is finally out
A cinematic synth-pop track inspired by 80s atmospheres, arcade nights, vintage synths and emotional late-night vibes.
On the production side, I used TONEX for guitars, T-RackS Tape Machine 24 and 99 on several buses, and I created a lot of the backing vocal thickness using the revolutionary ReSing plugin.
Hardware-wise, we also used an AKAI MPC60, Roland D-50, Roland D-20 and a Lexicon 480 for some of the classic 80s spatial textures.
Would love to hear your thoughts about the production, mix and overall vibe!
Wow!!! Great production, you nailed the 80s style keys and guitar both in tone and playing style. The mix, everything was so smooth and clear. I could hear everything there was no masking. Looking at your gear you used, I have to say I am a big fan of lexicon as well. What tonex tone model did you use?
Thank you so much for the kind words, really appreciated!
I’m very happy you noticed the attention to the 80s details, especially the keys/guitar approach and the overall clarity of the mix. That was exactly the vibe I was chasing.
And yes… I’m a huge Lexicon fan too, tThe Lexicon 480 was all over the production, especially on vocals and snare ambience.
For the guitars, I mainly used a custom TONEX tone model based on a modded Marshall-style amp, paired with stereo chorus and delay processing inspired by classic 80s productions.
Really glad you enjoyed the track, thanks again for listening!
WOW!, what a beautifully executed performance and production. I don’t know where you guys are in your journey or where you all desire to go, but with all my heart I hope you rise to the top and you all deserve to.
There’s a real level of talent here that is undeniable, I’m very impressed.
Finally got around to listening to this, and I’m glad I did. Everything sits so well in the mix. Truly professional stuff here. I hope “the right people” hear this!
Thank you so much everyone, really means a lot to read comments like these
One of the main goals with CIAO64 is trying to recreate not only the sound of many 80s productions we love, but also that emotional atmosphere and cinematic feeling that many modern productions seem to have lost a bit.
We spent a huge amount of time on arrangement details, sound design, mix balance and space/depth in the production, so reading comments about clarity and musicality is honestly very rewarding.
And yes… a lot of that vibe comes from combining modern tools with hardware and techniques inspired by that era:
AKAI MPC60, Roland D-50/D-20, Lexicon 480, tape processing, stereo modulation, layered reverbs, etc.
Also, ReSing became an unexpectedly important part of the backing vocal production on this track.
Really appreciate all the support and the time you took to listen carefully to the song and production.
Thank you for reviewing my song! Now your song: I think everything sounds really good! Melodies, vocals, lead guitar, keyboards, everything. The song (and its production) and the video have a definite 80’s vibe. Video game arcades started becoming popular in my Los Angeles County area in the early 80’s. I have never been to Italy, so I have to ask; for popular pop/rock/alternative bands from Italy, do they typically sing in English? Giorgio Moroder is pretty well known in the USA (primarily for his songs in the 70’s and the 80’s). I think “I Feel Love” by Donna Summer is awesome. I did a cover of it in about 1985 with a female singer and a 4-track cassette recorder; I thought it turned out pretty good, though tough to compete with Donna Summer’s vocals and Giorgio’s Moog Modular work. I think Americans rarely learn the Italian language in school, and I know almost no Italian language, though I like the way it sounds. In my mind, I think a singer singing in Italian could work well for pop/rock/alternative rock. OK, I just learned Lacuna Coil is Italian? I just listened to 3 of their songs; found one where the singing is in Italian; yes, it works for me.
Really cool to read your memories about the early arcade era in Los Angeles, that atmosphere was a huge inspiration for the video.
And yes, Giorgio Moroder is legendary here too “I Feel Love” still sounds futuristic today. Very cool that you covered it back in 1985 on a 4-track cassette recorder!
In Italy, mainstream pop is usually sung in Italian, but many rock/synthpop/alternative artists choose English, especially when inspired by British and international music scenes.
Thanks again for listening and for sharing your thoughts!
“I Feel Love” still sounds futuristic today. Very cool that you covered it back in 1985 on a 4-track cassette recorder!