Jun 18, 2025

De Lorra: Synths, Nostalgia, and the Mysterious Magic of Matthias Hency

When you first press play on a De Lorra track, you’re not just listening—you’re time-traveling. It’s like flipping open a dusty VHS clamshell, sliding into a leather jacket that smells faintly of neon and rebellion, and stepping into a dreamscape scored by synths that shimmer like a heatwave on a CRT screen.

Matthias Hency, the mind behind De Lorra, hails from Joplin, Missouri. Not exactly the place you'd expect a synth-drenched, vapor-soaked sound to be born, but that's part of the magic. There’s something about the contrast of Midwest roots and cyberpunk moods that gives De Lorra’s music a unique emotional depth—like Blade Runner caught a feeling.

And somehow, despite the shimmering digital textures and silky downtempo grooves, you can feel the analog soul humming underneath it all. You feel it in tracks like “Slow Drip,” where time seems to stretch like taffy, or “E N D L E S S,” which feels like driving alone down an empty highway in 1986, windows down, heart wide open.

Let’s rewind a bit.

The Rise of the Analog Dreamer

De Lorra officially stepped onto the scene in 2017 with Slow Drip, a track that didn’t shout so much as it sighed its way into the world. That single quickly became a sleeper hit in the synthwave and chillwave communities—shared, looped, and playlisted like a secret too beautiful to keep.

People weren’t just hearing De Lorra; they were feeling it. And not just with the ears, but with the soft spot in the chest that lights up when memory and melody collide.

Let’s break down why people got hooked:

Nostalgic Texture: Think 80s synth pads with enough haze to feel like a dream you can’t quite remember.
Tempo Sweet Spot: Around 92 BPM, perfect for a midnight drive or a moody introspective session.
Lush Production: Every sound is deliberate, every silence golden. There’s space to breathe.

And it wasn’t long before the EP Unconditional (Endless Summer) dropped in 2019. It was warm, cinematic, and full of that shimmering sadness that hits just right when summer ends too soon. Tracks like “Let Us” and “Still Phasing” didn’t just soundtrack moments—they created them.

One fan on Reddit called De Lorra's music “the sound of what I think about right before I fall asleep.” Which, honestly, might be the most accurate music review of all time.

The Vanishing Act (And Why It Mattered)

Then… nothing. After the dreamy highs of 2019, Matthias went quiet. Between 2020 and 2022, there were no new releases. No live shows. No cryptic tweets. Just silence.

Was it a breakup? A burnout? A creative cocoon?

Whatever the reason, the hiatus felt like losing contact with an old friend. But when De Lorra returned with Collection in 2022, it was like he never left—only he came back with sharper edges and deeper hues. And this time, it wasn’t just Bandcamp nerds taking notice. Vinyl collectors snapped up the 300-copy splatter release like it was candy laced with nostalgia.

It was official: the cult following had arrived.

Hency’s Sound: Like Vapor in a Vintage Jacket

Matthias Hency doesn’t chase trends. If anything, he’s coasting just outside of them—like a synthwave ninja who only emerges when the stars align and the fog machines are set to MAX.

His signature?

Cyberpunk Vibes: A nod to 80s dystopia but with more romance and less murder.
Downtempo Grooves: Music that isn’t in a hurry but takes you somewhere all the same.
Emotional Minimalism: He gives you just enough to feel, never too much to overwhelm.

It’s no wonder Hency drew praise from Vice back in 2018. Or that Hotel Pools (another dreamy wave-rider) gave him a shoutout. His work fits into that rare category of synthwave that isn’t about laser grids and nostalgia porn—it’s about mood. And maybe a little longing.

So Where Does Newretro.Net Come In?

You know that feeling you get when you’re listening to De Lorra and you’re mentally strolling through a neon city in slow motion?

Yeah, that’s the vibe we live for at Newretro.Net. If you’re into the mood De Lorra creates—half dream, half memory—you’ll find that same aesthetic in our retro-inspired jackets, VHS sneakers, and throwback watches. We’re not just selling clothes—we’re helping you dress like your favorite De Lorra track sounds. Especially if that track is “DISSONANCE” or “Still Phasing.”

Because let’s face it, looking good while vibing to synth is part of the experience. You wouldn’t watch Drive in Crocs. Right?

Lululu and the Return of the Vibe

Then came 2024. Lululu dropped.

And oh man, if Collection was the comeback, Lululu is the victory lap. It’s more experimental, a little weirder, maybe even a touch darker. The pads are thicker. The emotion hits harder. There’s something a little off—in a good way, like when you watch a David Lynch scene that doesn’t make sense but still gets under your skin.

Fans were divided. Some missed the soft edges of the early work. Others loved the new edge. But nobody was indifferent.

Because Matthias Hency doesn’t just make tracks—he crafts emotional postcards from the past you wish you lived in.

And even though he’s never played a live show (nope, not even once), you get the feeling it’s all intentional. Maybe the mystery is part of the magic.

Maybe... or maybe he just doesn’t like standing up for too long. Who knows?

De Lorra: Synths, Nostalgia, and the Mysterious Magic of Matthias Hency (continued)

If Lululu taught us anything, it’s that De Lorra isn’t afraid to evolve. Sure, Matthias Hency has always been a sonic time traveler, but Lululu feels like he finally built a home inside the dimension he’s been exploring since Slow Drip. And it’s cozy. Weird, but cozy. Kind of like watching an old VHS tape that starts glitching mid-sunset scene—haunting, but still beautiful.

Let’s talk about Of Blood, though. Released in 2023, just before Lululu, this project was the signal that Hency wasn’t just back—he was changed. The lush haze was still there, but there was a newfound weight. Like the difference between falling in love at 17 and falling in love at 30. Same emotion, just deeper scars.

What makes Of Blood special?

It walks the line between melody and melancholy.
Tracks seem to echo even after they end.
There's this haunting beauty, like a synth ghost humming through an abandoned arcade.

Fans called it “his most emotional work yet,” and you can hear why. The reverb feels like it's stretching through heartbreak, the pads don’t shimmer—they ache. Even the track names have a cinematic tension to them. You don’t just listen—you wade through it.

It’s music that makes you want to wear a leather jacket indoors for no reason. And possibly sunglasses too. (Speaking of which… yeah, Newretro.Net has both.)

Synthwave Without the Cheese

It’s worth mentioning that De Lorra doesn’t fall into the trap a lot of synthwave artists do. You know what I mean—too much neon, too much “Miami 1984,” and not enough soul. Hency’s music isn’t cosplay. It’s not here to impersonate the 80s—it’s here to resurrect the feeling of being somewhere undefined but familiar. Like déjà vu wearing rollerblades.

His tracks don’t hit you with a wall of sound. Instead, they slide under your skin, like:

“DISSONANCE”: Sounds like falling asleep while watching static snow on an old TV. In a good way.
“Still Phasing”: Like a memory trying to make itself known just before you wake up.
“E N D L E S S”: Lives up to its name—loop it once and forget where your day went.

And then there’s “Let Us,” which sounds like love letters exchanged in Morse code between two robots that met at a skate rink in 1987.

You get the vibe.

The Phantom of Synth City

Matthias Hency doesn’t tour. He doesn’t livestream sets. He doesn’t even pop up in synth forums to drop cryptic emojis like some other artists do. This guy is pure ghost-mode.

Which, strangely, makes his music feel even more personal. There’s no performative hype around it. No flashy visuals. It’s like he built an entire world out of sound, tossed it on Bandcamp, and whispered, “Here. Find it if you’re supposed to.”

And we did.

You won’t find De Lorra at Coachella. But you will find him on the playlists of late-night coders, moody photographers, and people who wear denim jackets in 90-degree weather because aesthetics matter. (Also—hello again—Newretro.Net. We see you.)

From Joplin, With Vibes

It still kind of blows the mind that all of this came from Joplin, Missouri. No shade to Joplin, but we’re talking about a town that’s more known for Route 66 than retro-futurist synth music.

Maybe that’s the secret. Maybe growing up surrounded by quiet roads, warm sunsets, and wide-open spaces gave Matthias the perfect canvas to dream of glowing cities and hazy nights that never end.

He’s proof that you don’t need to live in Tokyo or Berlin to make world-class electronic music. You just need taste, time, and probably way too many hours spent messing with vintage synth plugins at 2 AM.

So, What’s Next?

De Lorra’s not the type to announce a “new era” with Instagram countdowns and choreographed teaser videos. His next move could be tomorrow, or it could be two years from now. That’s kind of the deal when you follow someone like Matthias Hency—you’re signing up for beauty on his schedule.

But honestly? That’s fine with us.

In a world where everything moves too fast and nothing feels real, De Lorra reminds us to slow down. To sit in the fog. To vibe in the stillness. Maybe to buy that retro denim jacket you’ve been eyeing. (Last plug, promise.)

Because somewhere between nostalgia and now, between reverb and reality, there's a place where De Lorra lives—and if you're lucky enough to find it, you might not want to leave.

So press play. Slide the sunglasses on. And keep dreaming in VHS.