Interview with Sequenza

Door Sander Mebus op juli 16, 2026

The brand new EP Future Is Now by Spanish synthwave producer Sequenza was recently released via RetroSynth Records. A musical journey that takes us through cosmic disco, retro-futurist electronics and analogue dreamscapes. I spoke extensively with Sequenza about his sources of inspiration, his minimalist studio setup and his love for physical media.

Sequenza, could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers and tell us how your journey into synthwave and retro electronics began?

Hi Sander! I'm Ross, better known as Sequenza. I have been producing music since the early 2010s, but specifically synthwave since around 2018. I suppose the big thing at the time was Stranger Things, and I fell in love with the soundtrack like so many others! I started listening to S U R V I V E, which led me to discover artists like HOME and Com Truise, among many others. It was very refreshing to hear this retro sound, as I had previously been writing more club-focused music.

Congratulations on your new EP Future Is Now! The record really breathes the atmosphere of the Space Age. What attracts you so much to this specific era of space exploration optimism?

Thanks! Well, without getting too political, I find it fascinating how the USSR went from feudalism to a spacefaring superpower in just forty years. Old footage of launches, satellites, and the art style from that era were very much the starting point for this album. It was a pioneering time, both there and in the US with NASA.

The EP traces a path from propulsion and discovery to reflection and return. How did you translate this narrative arc into the structure and track list of the record?

Usually when I write music, I write songs without a continuous narrative. For this EP, however, I created an actual story, which is something I have never done before! It really helped with the flow of writing and getting into 'character'. Ulysses is the ship on its voyage to the furthest reaches of space, TON 618 is the black hole it witnesses, and the final track represents the beginning of its return. I already have an idea in mind for the return story and what they will find! Let's see what happens...

You make use of analogue dreamscapes and retro futurist electronics. Can you take us inside your studio? Which specific synthesizers or gear were essential in shaping this cosmic sound?

My studio is pretty basic: it's all 'in the box' and I use Ableton. I've used it since I started making music, and I love it. My prized possession is a software synth called Diva. It's an emulation of a few classic older synthesizers combined into one. I think I have used it on every single song I have ever written! That's about as vintage as my setup gets, along with a small MIDI keyboard. I am not a trained player, though, so it takes a lot of jamming to get to something that I like and that sounds good.

Future Is Now also explores the solitude of deep space exploration. Is this solitude something you actively seek out when producing, or does it simply reflect the mood of the music?

Writing music, especially computer-based music, can definitely be a lonely experience! With this release, I wanted to try to pack in as much emotion as I could, almost like a soundtrack to the story. I wanted to take listeners on this journey with me. Whether I actively seek out that solitude really depends on the project, I think.

The EP is being released via RetroSynth Records on both digital download and physical CD. How important is a physical release to you in an era dominated by streaming?

I grew up with tapes and CDs, so having a physical copy of the album is incredible. For me, it's a real throwback to my younger self, so in that sense, it's great. Yes, streaming is more convenient, but there is something special about physical media. Things can disappear in the digital world, so it's important to have a tangible archive outside of a hard drive. Just look at what Sony wants to do from 2028: no more discs!

If we were actually traveling through space fifty years from now and you could bring just one legendary retro game aboard your spaceship, which game would become the soundtrack to your cosmic journey?

Oof, that's a tough one! A retro game in fifty years, or a retro game now... A retro game from today would probably be Tetris; it would keep my mind focused! And the retro game fifty years from now? Hmm, the last game I truly loved playing was Black Myth: Wukong, so maybe that!

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