Cyber defense by day, synthwave specialist by night

By Mark Squibb

Dean Parsons is an expert in cyber security with over 20 years experience, but when he’s not developing security programs or managing cyber threats, he’s writing 80’s inspired synthwave music under the moniker Arcade Knights.
“I would describe the sounds as gritty, nostalgic, romantic, and retro futuristic,” said Parsons, who is largely inspired by the works of pioneering synth masters such as John Carpenter, Vangelis, and Wendy Carlos, musicians who scored many a genre film in the 70’s and 80’s.
Parsons writes and records the music entirely on authentic 80’s hardware rather than attempting to replicate the sound with modern computer programs.
“That commitment to authenticity results in music that’s not only retro-inspired but deeply rooted in the actual techniques and sounds of the era,” said Parsons.
Each album has a unique theme and album specific storyline and often portrays a lone hero standing up to injustice, a theme prevalent in some of Parson’s favourite 80’s flicks such as Rambo.
His most recent album, Neon Vice, is a love letter to the 80’s hit TV show Miami Vice and is set to be released in September to coincide with the 41st anniversary of the show’s original airing.
“I wrote the music based on how I felt watching, as a kid, those fast cars, dangerous streets, and undercover detectives who were trying to do good things in a bad world,” said Parsons.
Parsons has also produced graphic novels to serve as companion pieces to the albums. He said some fans read the graphic novels while listening to the albums for a complete experience.
Parsons, who now lives in Whitbourne, grew up in Bristol’s Hope, and spent much of his time as a youth in nearby Carbonear.