Few artists can bottle the magic of the past and still sound like tomorrow. The Midnight, the ever-evolving synthwave duo of Tyler Lyle and Tim McEwan, have been doing exactly that for years — and their latest single, “Digital Dreams” (released May 30, 2025), proves they’re still pushing boundaries while keeping their signature neon glow.
Q: This track feels like it could be playing over a city skyline at midnight in 1985 — or 2085. Was that the goal?
Tim McEwan: That’s the sweet spot for us — blending the nostalgia people love with a forward-thinking sound. We want you to feel like you’re driving down a rainy boulevard under neon lights, but also like you’re in a place you’ve never been before.
From the first shimmering synth line to the steady, heartbeat-like rhythm, “Digital Dreams” builds a world. It’s lush, warm, and a little wistful — yet propulsive enough to keep you moving.
Q: There’s a lot of atmosphere here, but it never drifts too far into chill territory. How do you balance the dreamy with the driving?
Tyler Lyle: That’s always the challenge. You don’t want to just float — you want to take the listener somewhere. So while we create these big, airy textures, the drums and bass are always giving you that push forward.
The track’s energy lies in that tension — wistful melodies swimming above a foundation that makes you nod your head without thinking about it.
Accompanying the single is a hypnotic visualizer — swirling neon colors, abstract patterns, and shapes that shift like liquid circuitry.
Q: The visualizer feels almost like an extra instrument in the song.
Tim McEwan: Exactly. Music is about immersion, and visuals help us pull you deeper into the dream. The colors, the motion — they’re all part of the same story we’re telling with sound.
“Digital Dreams” is the third single from The Midnight’s upcoming sixth studio album, following “Chariot” and “Love is an Ocean.” And their reach is growing — “Chariot” recently found a home on the soundtrack of F1 25, putting their sound in the driver’s seat for gamers worldwide.
Q: Does branching into games and other media change how you approach songwriting?
Tyler Lyle: Not really — we’ve always written cinematically. But when we hear our songs in those contexts, it feels like they’ve found another life.
Whether you’ve been following The Midnight since Endless Summer or you’re stepping into their retro-futuristic world for the first time, “Digital Dreams” is a perfect entry point.