Somehow I never outgrew the 80s.
Brian Hazard of Color Theory creates a world of nostalgically transfigured memories that allow the listener to place their own emotions into the music without being overly guided by thought. Finding the brooding undercurrents of Depeche Mode, The Cure, and Baths oddly uplifting, he pursues a style he calls “melancholy synthwave.” The resulting sound sits in close comparison to The Midnight and Gunship; however, if you listen closely, you’ll hear a style that is uniquely his own.
Color Theory has received significant support on YouTube, having been picked up by renowned channels such as NewRetroWave, The ’80s Guy, LuigiDonatello, and SoulSearchAndDestroy. Overall, his work has received nearly 3 million plays across streaming platforms. Winning the grand prize in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, having three songs featured in the Just Dance video game series and two in the Rock Band video game series, plus several song placements on MTV’s The Real World, are just some of Hazard’s notable achievements.
Raised in sunny Southern California, Hazard was originally a pianist in his high school jazz band before earning a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance. You may recognize his early work through “Ponytail Girl,” which sparked mass confusion when it spread like wildfire on Napster, mislabeled as a Depeche Mode b-side. The musician responded with understated humor, saying, “It’s pretty neat to be mistaken for your favorite band.” On the basis of that incident, he went on to create an entire tribute album, Color Theory presents Depeche Mode.
