Synths, Sass, and Social Realism – Tidal End’s By Design is Your Next Retro Fix
With pop hooks that slap as hard as the snares, Tidal End injected fresh electricity into the scene with By Design, the definitive feel-good retro synth pop anthem for anyone finding comfort in the realisation that autonomy and possibility are always tempered by how much of our experience happens by design; by the design of others, or how we’ve been moulded since birth. The sticky-sweet pop earworm doesn’t find any room for lament in the euphoria-choked production that could easily trigger an endemic of dance-y synth pop fever across the airwaves. Instead, the track dances through the lack of free will; in a pop scene full of assimilation, Tidal End are one of the outliers who deserve space on all the pop-focused stations. Born out of a breakthrough performance at Glasgow’s COP26 event, Tidal End rapidly grew their following by hitting stages at St Lukes, the Winged Ox, and King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, cementing their presence in the UK’s live circuit. Their debut EP, ‘Face to Face’, packed in anthemic indie rock and emotive songwriting, while 2024’s ‘Some Kind of Love Song’ gave listeners a taste of their introspective side. Now, after a year away, Tidal End make a […] The post Synths, Sass, and Social Realism – Tidal End’s By Design is Your Next Retro Fix appeared first on A&R Factory.

With pop hooks that slap as hard as the snares, Tidal End injected fresh electricity into the scene with By Design, the definitive feel-good retro synth pop anthem for anyone finding comfort in the realisation that autonomy and possibility are always tempered by how much of our experience happens by design; by the design of others, or how we’ve been moulded since birth. The sticky-sweet pop earworm doesn’t find any room for lament in the euphoria-choked production that could easily trigger an endemic of dance-y synth pop fever across the airwaves. Instead, the track dances through the lack of free will; in a pop scene full of assimilation, Tidal End are one of the outliers who deserve space on all the pop-focused stations. Born out of a breakthrough performance at Glasgow’s COP26 event, Tidal End rapidly grew their following by hitting stages at St Lukes, the Winged Ox, and King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, cementing their presence in the UK’s live circuit. Their debut EP, ‘Face to Face’, packed in anthemic indie rock and emotive songwriting, while 2024’s ‘Some Kind of Love Song’ gave listeners a taste of their introspective side. Now, after a year away, Tidal End make a […]
The post Synths, Sass, and Social Realism – Tidal End’s By Design is Your Next Retro Fix appeared first on A&R Factory.