Neon Apologies by Welcome to the 21st!

Welcome to the 21st! is an indie alternative band that takes listeners on a synthwave journey through history with their latest concept album "Neon Apologies." Released in June 2024, the album is a retro-futuristic exploration of a little-known chapter from World War II with a UFO twist, told through the lens of 1980s nostalgia.

At the heart of "Neon Apologies" is the story of Japanese women who, as teenagers in the 1940s, worked in factories constructing balloon bombs designed to float across the ocean and light the US on fire. Despite causing little strategic damage, one of these rudimentary weapons tragically claimed the lives of eight children in Oregon in May 1945 after they discovered a downed balloon and inadvertently triggered the explosive.

Decades later, in 1987, these women, now much older, made the journey to Oregon to apologize to the families of the victims, seeking closure and reconciliation for their unwitting roles in a wartime atrocity. It's this poignant narrative that provides the conceptual framework for Welcome to the 21st!'s synthwave odyssey.

Helmed and imagined by musician Bob Blumenfeld from Texas, the album features an array of vocalists and lyricists, each contributing their unique perspectives to individual tracks. As with the other Welcome to the 21st! releases, the songs were pulled together, mixed, and perfected by Dallas icon musician-multi-instrumentalist-producer John Dufilho. The result is a seamless fusion of indie alternative and synthwave, anchored by pulsing basslines, shimmering synthscapes, and nostalgic drums that transport listeners to the neon-drenched streets of a re-imagined 1980s.

While the album's core story is rooted in history, it also embraces the global fascination with the unknown, dedicating two tracks – the dance-pop anthem "Up in the Sky" and the groovy "Dancing on the Night Screen" – to the mysteries of UFOs and UAPs. These songs serve as a bridge, connecting the past to the present day, where such aerial unexplained phenomena continue to captivate the public imagination and the topic of "UFO disclosure" and the existence of non-human intelligence continues to be discussed in Congress and the news media.

With "Neon Apologies," Welcome to the 21st! has crafted a truly unique sonic experience, blending genres, eras, and narratives into a cohesive whole. It's a poignant reminder of the human capacity for reconciliation and a testament to the enduring power of music to transcend boundaries and explore the depths of the human experience.

Tracklist

1.	Running After You	3:27

2.	As Light as a Balloon	2:57

3.	Up in the Sky	2:30

4.	The Dream of You and Me	3:50

5.	Dancing on the Night Screen	3:06

6.	The Smallest Grain of Sand	3:33

7.	Across the Ocean	3:04

8.	Velocity	3:21

9.	Waking up the Sunshine	3:19

Credits

released June 22, 2024

Copyright 2024 - all rights reserved

Song writing, concept devleopment, and guitars by Bob Blumenfeld, with a group of incredible lyricists and vocalists and other musicians.

Featuring on vocals, Touanda (who also serves as the band's vocalists on its prior two releases), Natalia Natchan, Ashley Jana, Nekane, Meghan Strom, Eva Liebling, Julieta Astol, Claire Dickson, and Ian & Tim Hardwick, among others.

Guitars, percussion, drums, bass, keyboards and more, as well as production, on all songs by John Dufilho (Dallas, Texas).

Retro synths, keyboards, and some production by Luigi Porcino (Italy) (disquette•s), on most of the songs.

Additional synths and keyboards by Meyo.

Additional production and songwriting by Aoife O'Leary (PoppyMoth) on As Light as a Balloon and Smallest Grain of Sand.

Background vocals by Ian & Tim Hardwick (DyHard Production) on Up in the Sky and Dancing on the Night Screen.

Keyboards, guitar and production by Rob Romano on the Smallest Grain of Sand.

Production and instrumentation by Lisa B. on Dream of You and Me and Across the Ocean.

Vocals and songwriting contribution by Le Ghoast and Matt Welch on Dream of You and Me.

Electric Guitar by Leo Abrahams on Dancing on the Night Screen and Velocity

Original guitar track recording and production by Gabriel Gonzalez (San Elizario, Texas) at Clap of Thunder Studio (El Paso, Texas) on As Light as a Balloon, Smallest Grain of Sand, and Across the Ocean

License

CC BY-NC 3.0. See the Creative Commons website for details.