When the first Games tracks started surfacing online earlier this year, people doubted whether Daniel Lopatin (aka Oneohtrix Point Never) was actually behind them. As OPN, Lopatin makes pretty serious, open-ended synth drones, and tracks like "Planet Party" felt a little too quirky to be his. But as time went on and we found out that Games was in fact a collaboration between Lopatin and longtime buddy Joel Ford of Tigercity, the project started to make more sense. Games are still about evocative synth music, but this time they're focused on nostalgia and recreating forgotten 80s production techniques.
The vibe they're after isn't easy to pinpoint, but you know it when you hear it. It's that 80s sound-- the cheesy mechanical pop that lived in commercials, movie soundtracks, and arcades. It's laser tag music, Revenge of the Nerds music. Games cop that style and make glitchy electro jams from it, and the appealing thing about these guys is how thoroughly they inhabit the sound. Partly it's equipment. They've got an arsenal of analog synths, and are able to make these instruments feel not just vintage but almost aged, like something you'd hear on a record found deep in the used bin.
The individual tracks that comprise That We Can Play are all pretty solid, and if you've followed the band you probably already know some of them. To me, the standout is still "Planet Party", just an unapologetic slice of Apple IIe funk. Over a clipped backing beat and chopped vocal samples, Games bend their synths as if using wah-wah pedals, giving the track this great wobbly whine. Newer cut "Strawberry Skies", featuring Brooklyn singer/producer Laurel Halo on vocals, is also very good, a super-bouncy new age workout that brings to mind Bananarama's "Cruel Summer". Gatekeeper's remix on the backend nicely ups the darkness, slowing the song down and adding ominous horror synths.
A few of the other tracks here, like the mostly instrumental "Midi Drift" and "Shadows in Bloom" aren't as melodically strong but do fit within the larger scheme. The EP's a little on the short side and Games do have more tracks than are included here; it might've been nice had they rounded it out with "Everything Is Working" and "Heartlands". That's a minor complaint, though, and ultimately the record is a quirky and technical treat. Back in August, Games told us an inspiration for the project was "anything that reminds us of our dads working." Silly, but it sounds like they had fun making it. That carries over to the listening experience.
