History and character
Outrun is the most energetic, “night drive” strand of synthwave. It takes its name from Sega's arcade video game Out Run (1986), with its convertible Ferrari Testarossa, coastal roads and a soundtrack you could select from the car radio; the imagery is made of sports cars, neon highways, palm trees, magenta sunsets and perspective grids, Miami Vice and 1980s action films. The sound is bright and optimistic but melancholic, with fast arpeggios, a bass in eighth or sixteenth notes that “runs,” leads as singable as a voice, and guitar and sax solos.
The milestones: Kavinsky (Testarossa Autodrive, 2007; the album OutRun, 2013, is named after the game), Mitch Murder, Lazerhawk (Redline, 2010), Miami Nights 1984, Power Glove (soundtrack of Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon, 2013), Futurecop!, FM-84, The Midnight and Timecop1983 on the more melodic side; many indie video game soundtracks (Hotline Miami has a few tracks in this area). Direct influences: Jan Hammer (Miami Vice Theme, Crockett's Theme), Harold Faltermeyer (Axel F), Giorgio Moroder, the themes of Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop, and the original Out Run soundtrack (Hiroshi Kawaguchi, with tracks such as Magical Sound Shower).
Compared with slow “cinematic” synthwave, outrun is closer to club music and Italo disco: four-on-the-floor kick, sequenced bass, medium-fast tempo, and the structure of an instrumental track with themes and solos.
Scales and keys
In modes, Roman numerals refer to the scale of the mode; in minor, to the natural minor.
Natural minor (Aeolian)
- Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 (T S T T S T T). In D minor: D E F G A Bb C.
- Characteristic note: b6 (Bb): “sunset” melancholy inside energetic music.
- Chords: i Dm – ii° Edim – III F – iv Gm – v Am – VI Bb – VII C.
- Use: i–VI–VII–i and i–VI–III–VII, sixteenth-note bass on the tonic.
- Example: many Kavinsky and Lazerhawk tracks work on minor loops of this kind.
Dorian
- Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 (T S T T T S T). In D Dorian: D E F G A B C.
- Characteristic note: major 6th (B): the major IV (G) gives “light” and speed.
- Chords (scale of the mode): i Dm – ii Em – III F – IV G – v Am – vi° Bdim – VII C.
- Use: i7–IV, leads that emphasize the 6th.
Major (Ionian) and Mixolydian
- Major: triumphant themes (Top Gun; Axel F has a minor theme but a playful character), vocal outrun choruses.
- Mixolydian (1 2 3 4 5 6 b7): “highway” riffs with the VII.
Minor pentatonic (leads and solos)
- 1 b3 4 5 b7, in D: D F G A C. Hair metal guitar solos and synth leads.
How to choose
Night and speed: Aeolian. Hope and sun: Dorian or major. Solos: minor pentatonic. The sixteenth-note bass on the tonic stabilizes any mode: choose the mode from the chords above it.
Harmony
Function
Loops of 3–4 chords repeated over long sections (16–32 bars), weak cadences, a lot of stability for the feeling of a “journey.” The harmony changes between section A and B (for example from the minor tonic to the relative major) and in the bridge with a solo.
Techniques
- Pedal bass in sixteenth notes under changing chords.
- Arpeggiator in sixteenth notes with delay.
- Relative major for section B.
- Modulation by a whole step in the final theme (a legacy of 1980s pop).
Voicing
Pads and brass in open triads, monophonic lead above, bass in octaves.
Typical progressions
| Name | Key | Chords | Degrees | How to use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Night journey | D minor | Dm Bb C Dm | i VI VII i | The VII returns to the i without a leading tone: a highway loop. |
| Bright Dorian | D Dorian | Dm7 G Bbmaj7 C | i7 IV bVImaj7 VII | The major IV (G) gives light; the Bb is a borrowed chord from the Aeolian. |
| Minor cycle | D minor | Dm Bb F C | i VI III VII | The basis of many A sections. |
| Section B in the relative | F major | F C Dm Bb | I V vi IV | The relative major opens section B. |
| Moroder pedal | A minor | Am F/A G/A Am | i VI/i VII/i i | Bass fixed on A in sixteenth notes: a hypnotic engine. |
| 1980s anthem | C major | F G Em Am | IV V iii vi | Royal road for triumphant themes and vocal synthwave. |
| Final modulation | D minor → E minor | Dm Bb C A B7 Em C D B | i VI VII V | V7 nuova | i VI VII V | The final theme restarts a whole step higher. |
Rhythm and groove
Four-on-the-floor kick or synth-pop pattern with kick on 1, 3 and “3 and,” gated snare on 2 and 4, sixteenth-note hats (busier than in slow synthwave), “galloping” sixteenth- or eighth-note bass. Swing 0%, full quantization. Pronounced sidechain on the pads and bass. Tempo 110–140, with a constant sense of motion.
Drums
Kick
Four on the floor (steps 1, 5, 9, 13) or 1, 9, 11; LinnDrum/909 sound with a modern layer.
Snare
On 2 and 4 with gated reverb and clap; sixteenth-note snare fills at the end of phrases.
Hi-hat and percussion
Closed hats in sixteenth notes, open hat on the offbeats or on the “4 and”; tambourine; crash every 8 bars.
Interaction
Sixteenth-note bass always present; drums powerful but simple.
By section
Intro with arpeggio and filtered kick; A: full kit; B: crash and toms; breakdown: drums removed; build: snare roll and Simmons toms; A': everything, solo.
Fills and sounds
Simmons tom fills, reverse crash. LinnDrum, DMX, 909. Mistakes: drums so busy they compete with the arpeggio.
Bass
- Sound: filtered saw with a short envelope (Minimoog, Juno, SH-101), often with a 1/16 delay doubling it.
- Pattern: sixteenth notes on the tonic, alternating octaves, “gallop” (eighth note + two sixteenths).
- Relationship with the kick: sidechain 4–6 dB, release in time.
- Examples: Kavinsky — Testarossa Autodrive, FM-84 — Running in the Night.
Harmonic instruments
Wide polyphonic pads, synthetic brass, sixteenth-note arpeggios, saw or square leads with glide, electric guitar (solos and riffs), sax (solos), FM bell.
Melody and vocals
- Lead: a singable melody repeated like a “theme,” mid-high register, glide and delayed vibrato.
- Solos: electric guitar with tapping and bending, tenor sax with reverb; synth with pitch bend.
- Vocals (when present): male pop voice with wide reverb, wide backing vocals, vocoder.
Instruments
Polyphonic synths (Jupiter-8, OB-Xa, Juno), mono synths for bass and lead, drum machines (LinnDrum, DMX, 909), electric guitar, sax, vocoder, vocals.
Drum patterns
Synths and sounds
- Jup-8 V — Pad, brass, arpeggios: Arpeggiator at 1/16, detuned saws, chorus: the “highway” sound.
- Mini V — Sequenced bass and lead: Sixteenth-note saw bass with a short envelope; lead with glide.
- OP-Xa V — Brass: Synthetic brass stabs for the themes.
- Jun-6 V — Arpeggios and pad: Arpeggios with chorus and bright pads.
- DX7 V — Bell and FM bass: 1980s bells and FM basses.
- Korg MS-20 V — Aggressive leads: Cutting leads for synth solos.
Song structure
| Section | Bars | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Intro | 16 | Arpeggio, pad, filtered bass |
| A (theme) | 16 | Full drums, lead |
| B | 16 | Relative major, brass |
| Breakdown | 8–16 | Pad and arpeggio |
| Build | 4–8 | Toms, riser |
| Solo | 16 | Guitar or sax |
| A' (final theme) | 16–32 | Everything, possible modulation |
| Outro | 8–16 | Fading arpeggio |
Duration 4:00–6:00.
Mixing and mastering
Sonic goal
Constant, bright energy, defined sequenced bass, big gated snare, wide arpeggios, lead up front. References: Kavinsky — Testarossa Autodrive, Lazerhawk — Overdrive, Power Glove — Blood Dragon Theme, FM-84 — Running in the Night.
Kick
HP 30 Hz, +2 dB at 60 Hz, −3 dB at 300 Hz, +2 dB at 3 kHz; compression 3 dB; center.
Snare
Gated reverb (room send → gate hold 200 ms), FET 4 dB, +3 dB at 200 Hz and 5 kHz; center.
Hi-hat and percussion
HP 400 Hz, hat 20%, tambourine opposite.
Bass
HP 30 Hz, fundamental 50–90 Hz, presence at 800 Hz, sidechain 4–6 dB, mono; very low 1/16 delay for animation (only above 200 Hz).
Arpeggios, pads, brass, lead
HP 150–250 Hz; arpeggios with ping-pong dotted 1/8 delay and hall; wide, sidechained pads; lead in the center with 1/4 delay and plate; tape on the bus.
Guitar and sax
Lead guitar with dotted 1/4 delay; sax with plate 1.8 s.
Buses and groups
Drum bus 2:1 with saturation; synth bus with tape.
Sidechain
Kick → bass, pads, arpeggios.
Master
Chain: EQ → tape → compressor 1–2 dB → limiter. Target −9/−7 LUFS, true peak ≤ −1 dBTP, PLR 8–10 dB.
Common mistakes
Arpeggios and lead in the same octave covering each other; bass too sub-heavy; excessive sidechain; too much high end.
Reference tracks for the mix
Kavinsky — Testarossa Autodrive (2007); Lazerhawk — Overdrive (2010); Power Glove — Blood Dragon Theme (2013); FM-84 — Running in the Night (2016).
Reference listening
- Jan Hammer — Crockett's Theme (1987)
- Harold Faltermeyer — Axel F (1984)
- Kavinsky — Testarossa Autodrive (2007)
- Lazerhawk — Overdrive (2010)
- Power Glove — Blood Dragon Theme (2013)
- FM-84 ft. Ollie Wride — Running in the Night (2016)
- The Midnight — Days of Thunder (2014)