Formed in 1981, Chemistry Set emerged from New Jersey’s vibrant 1980s music scene with a taste for electronic experimentation. Their early work drew from synth-pop, quirky electro, and dance-pop, folding programmed rhythms and layered keyboards into infectious grooves. Even at their most adventurous, they had an ear for a memorable hook and arrangements that invited people onto the dance floor.
Now, after a 40-year hiatus, the band returns with “Forgotten,” a striking change in mood and pace. The buoyant synth-pop of their early years has given way to downtempo noir-jazz and trip-hop, with a shadowy atmosphere that recalls Portishead and Massive Attack. It feels suited to a late-night listen, carrying a faintly spooky edge that even suggests Halloween. Beneath that unease is a quieter sense of mature isolation.
The track is built on deep, bass-heavy percussion that gives its cinematic production a firm pulse. The groove is hypnotic and unhurried, allowing the arrangement to shift gradually without losing its brooding character. There is plenty of space around each element, and that restraint makes Terry Kennedy’s haunting vocal feel especially exposed.
Jazz-influenced instrumentation sits comfortably within the electronic framework. Reverb and echo stretch Kennedy’s voice across the mix until it seems to drift through a vast, empty room. The production is lush without feeling crowded, letting small details linger in the background.
Toward the chorus, brighter synth tones briefly recall Chemistry Set’s earlier signature sound. They sit against a haunting melody that stays in the mind after the song ends. Around the weighty bass and spacious drums, ambient synths rise and fall, linking this slower material to the band’s electronic roots. Dark electric piano keys give the arrangement its jazz-fusion character, while a smooth, sultry, yet mournful saxophone winds around the main melody like another voice.
That tension between the familiar and the altered carries into the song’s themes. As its title suggests, “Forgotten” considers isolation, aging, memory, and the passage of time, particularly the feeling that life moves on while people and moments slip away. Coming after four decades of absence, the song also invites a reading of the band’s own disappearance and return, of being “lost” before being found again.
The cover art follows the same emotional direction. Rather than the bright neon colors or geometric designs associated with 1980s synth-pop, it favors a somber, dark, introspective look. The music and its visual presentation share a feeling of distance and reflection.
“Forgotten” is now streaming on all major DSPs, with a cinematic music video available on YouTube.
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