Ch 01
Musical Roots
Ever since I was a child, I have always loved music. Creating it, listening to it, playing it. When I was young I remember listening to James Taylor, John Mayer and others in the car with my dad. I learned guitar at a young age, and I started making music more seriously in 2020. In my teenage years my tastes shifted to bands like Iron Maiden and Metallica. As I got older I found bands like Black Veil Brides, Escape the Fate and Falling in Reverse. In my 20s I discovered synthwave/chillwave and loved it. I also latched on to the emotional lyrics from bands like Novelists and Northlane.
Ch 02
Becoming Chroma Glow
In November 2024, after listening to chillsynth and vaporwave for nearly a decade, I decided to try making it myself. I specifically remember speaking to Emil Rottmayer about how to get started in the genre. He was a big help to me as well as Vokon, Beta Memory, Jasper De Ceuster, Ogster and Alex Boychuk.
At first, I had a few names in mind. They were all pretty bad. Espionaj. Quantum Red. None of them felt right. Then, while setting up themes on Discord Nitro, I came across one called Chroma Glow. I remember thinking, that’s actually a really cool name. And it stuck.
Ch 03
Trial and Error
My first couple releases, I had no idea what I was doing. I really tried to just combine sounds. I was experimenting with Serum, I didn’t have proper drum samples, and I ended up using the built-in TR-808 sounds from Halion Sonic. The drums honestly sounded terrible. Every playlister I asked for feedback told me the same thing. I knew I needed to make a sound and make it "mine". One thing that I always really loved about listening to artists like Vokon, Jasper de Ceuster and Emil Rottmayer was their bass synths. I decided to try to make counter melodies with my bass synth. I created a custom bass synth on Serum and I drew from funk and jazz influences to create what I now confidently call the Chroma Glow Bass.
Ch 04
Finding The Sound
By my third release, Return, things started to shift. A friend sent me better drum samples, and for the first time, I felt like I had something that actually sounded right. By the time I reached my fifth release, Airstream ’91, I started getting more playlist placements. Things were beginning to connect.
More and bigger artists wanted to collaborate. Alex Boychuk, networkonline, Drozax, T-120, Voyager, Nightflyer and Descendant all gave a part of themselves to Chroma Glow. It helped me better develop my sound. I asked myself in summer 2025 "Who do you want to be?" and everything started falling into place. I closed out 2025 with the release of my first ever full-length album "f a l l i n g t h r o u g h i n f i n i t y"
Ch 05
The Deeper Meaning
The first few months of 2026 were rough for me. And out of that came the Memories That Last a Lifetime EP and two singles: "b i r c h" and "Remember California". These projects gave Chroma Glow a much deeper meaning.
To me, Chroma Glow isn’t just music. It’s a bridge.
A bridge to places in my mind that I can’t physically return to anymore. Paths back to moments that are gone, but not forgotten. When I listen to Remember California, I feel this quiet, burning in my chest. It feels long-lost. A gentle sadness. The sound of the dim lights from houses nestled in the mountains and the bright lights from city streets. The sound of beauty as it slowly slips away.
Because I remember. I remember what I did, who I saw, what those months felt like. Those memories hurt. But they also taught me a lot about myself. They changed me. They gave me perspective. And that’s what this project is really about. I hope that when people listen to Chroma Glow, they feel something similar. Nostalgia. Emotion. Reflection. At the very least, I hope the music does something for you. Makes you smile. Becomes the soundtrack to your summer. Or takes you somewhere you didn’t expect to go.
I dedicate my music to my wife Shyanne,and my mom and dad who have supported me throughout my journey and have always encouraged my creativity.
And I dedicate my music to you. All of you. Without you, I would not be here. So thank you.
-Sammi