Album Review: Swanny Davis – Beautiful Destinations
Swanny Davis grew up in the Aussie countryside, just a kid with an ear for music that seemed way beyond his years. Over time, he built his own sound — a mix of retro synths, textured melodies, and tight, irresistible beats. By 2022, he was in Tokyo, playing live on his Roland MC-707 and pulling people into his immersive, ever-changing sets. Fans quickly caught on, drawn to the energy and creativity he drops in every performance. Now, with his debut album Beautiful Destinations, Swanny’s ready to share his world of synth sounds with everyone.
The album started in a totally unplanned way — basically one inspired hour-long live session on Swanny's Roland MC-707 and TR-8S, tossing in a few random samples for flavor. It wasn’t meant to become tracks or an album; it was more about creating a flow, like a DJ set that tells a story and carries the listener along. Lately, Swanny’s been obsessed with the punch of darker techno while still chasing those warm, vintage ’80s synth tones, and he mashed the two into what he calls synthno: hypnotic techno grooves with sharp, soaring synth lines. It’s moody and intense, but there’s always a spark of light threading through, a little sense of hope sneaking in.
When Swanny first played the set live at Aoyama Hachi in Tokyo, the crowd’s reaction blew him away, and that’s when he knew it had to become an album. He captured everything in Ableton, teamed up with his friend DJ Cash to fine-tune the arrangements, and handled the mixing and mastering himself. The whole release is pure DIY — from the cover art and photos to the CDs and cassettes, all available on Bandcamp. One track drops to streaming platforms every six weeks, while the full album is already live on Bandcamp. And the story doesn’t end there — Swanny still has enough material from that original set for another full album.
Beautiful Destinations takes listeners on a vivid emotional journey through the eyes of Swanny Davis, a persona navigating the highs and lows of connection, ambition, and self-discovery. The album opens with “I Wanna Talk To You,” a tense, pulsing track that captures the frustration of feeling unheard, with tight, staccato synth stabs and a relentless beat that immediately grabs attention. “Join Me” shifts into warmer, more open textures to convey the relief and excitement of finding like-minded companions.
The mood darkens with “Heavenly Course,” where swelling synth leads and propulsive rhythms evoke overconfidence and the dizzying feeling of reaching too far, only to crash spectacularly in “Shout At God,” which balances pounding techno beats with atmospheric synth washes to deliver a sobering sense of humility. “Bl-Blow” dives into chaotic voice chops and synth textures and jittery percussion, sonically expressing attempts to escape or numb emotional pain. “The Diva” is a sudden, radiant turn — glittering acid synth lines and classic house-style diva vocals mark the arrival of beauty and transformation, lifting the listener toward light. Finally, the title track “Beautiful Destinations” grounds the album, blending the lessons of prior struggles into a rich, layered soundscape that feels both triumphant and serene, with the live energy of Swanny’s performances intact alongside polished, meticulous production.
Overall, the album’s synthno style feels distinct: dark yet melodic, rhythmic yet expressive, weaving analog warmth and digital precision into tracks that pulse with both live spontaneity and studio-crafted depth. The emotional arc is palpable, and the production balances immediacy and polish so that each track resonates while carrying the listener through the full spectrum of Swanny Davis’s transformative journey.
The album started in a totally unplanned way — basically one inspired hour-long live session on Swanny's Roland MC-707 and TR-8S, tossing in a few random samples for flavor. It wasn’t meant to become tracks or an album; it was more about creating a flow, like a DJ set that tells a story and carries the listener along. Lately, Swanny’s been obsessed with the punch of darker techno while still chasing those warm, vintage ’80s synth tones, and he mashed the two into what he calls synthno: hypnotic techno grooves with sharp, soaring synth lines. It’s moody and intense, but there’s always a spark of light threading through, a little sense of hope sneaking in.
When Swanny first played the set live at Aoyama Hachi in Tokyo, the crowd’s reaction blew him away, and that’s when he knew it had to become an album. He captured everything in Ableton, teamed up with his friend DJ Cash to fine-tune the arrangements, and handled the mixing and mastering himself. The whole release is pure DIY — from the cover art and photos to the CDs and cassettes, all available on Bandcamp. One track drops to streaming platforms every six weeks, while the full album is already live on Bandcamp. And the story doesn’t end there — Swanny still has enough material from that original set for another full album.
Beautiful Destinations takes listeners on a vivid emotional journey through the eyes of Swanny Davis, a persona navigating the highs and lows of connection, ambition, and self-discovery. The album opens with “I Wanna Talk To You,” a tense, pulsing track that captures the frustration of feeling unheard, with tight, staccato synth stabs and a relentless beat that immediately grabs attention. “Join Me” shifts into warmer, more open textures to convey the relief and excitement of finding like-minded companions.
The mood darkens with “Heavenly Course,” where swelling synth leads and propulsive rhythms evoke overconfidence and the dizzying feeling of reaching too far, only to crash spectacularly in “Shout At God,” which balances pounding techno beats with atmospheric synth washes to deliver a sobering sense of humility. “Bl-Blow” dives into chaotic voice chops and synth textures and jittery percussion, sonically expressing attempts to escape or numb emotional pain. “The Diva” is a sudden, radiant turn — glittering acid synth lines and classic house-style diva vocals mark the arrival of beauty and transformation, lifting the listener toward light. Finally, the title track “Beautiful Destinations” grounds the album, blending the lessons of prior struggles into a rich, layered soundscape that feels both triumphant and serene, with the live energy of Swanny’s performances intact alongside polished, meticulous production.
Overall, the album’s synthno style feels distinct: dark yet melodic, rhythmic yet expressive, weaving analog warmth and digital precision into tracks that pulse with both live spontaneity and studio-crafted depth. The emotional arc is palpable, and the production balances immediacy and polish so that each track resonates while carrying the listener through the full spectrum of Swanny Davis’s transformative journey.