About
Brooklyn’s Observation Room crafts music that thrives in the tension between nostalgia and futurism. A duo rooted in moody synth-pop, their sound draws from the crystalline melodies of Book of Love, the industrial melancholia of Depeche Mode, and the stark minimalism of early Human League, creating music that is at once familiar and eerily contemporary.
The project began in 2023 as a solo endeavor by Marina F, who recorded the band’s earliest demos while in transit, moving from the forests of rural Maine back to the electrified hum of New York City. These initial recordings—imbued with a cold, hypnotic intensity—marked a sharp departure from her background in punk and post-punk, embracing a meticulous electronic aesthetic while maintaining the obsessive DIY ethos of her past work.
Observation Room expanded with the addition of Chloe Olson on bass, synthesizers, and vocals, bringing a new depth to their songwriting and an undeniable presence to their live performances. Together, they craft songs that are cinematic in scope—equal parts mechanical and melodic, stark yet deeply emotive. Their music leans into the Reagan-era aesthetic, reflecting both its sleek futurism and underlying sense of unease, drawing haunting parallels between that time and the present.
Their self-titled debut EP is a four-track statement of intent, a seamless blend of industrial rhythms, shimmering synths, and sweeping electronic arrangements. From the pounding, chant-driven pulse of “Workers”—a mechanized anthem built on relentless grooves—to the operatic sprawl of “Orange Moon Distance,” the EP moves effortlessly between the mechanical and the cosmic. It’s a record that thrives on contrast: danceable yet brooding, cinematic yet immediate.
As they continue to carve out their place in the synth-pop landscape, Observation Room stands as both an homage to the past and a glimpse into the future—a band that exists in the glow of neon nostalgia while staring straight ahead into the unknown.
