Thanks for the input to both. I am actually making this in 11/4. Use the ride cymbal in introduction (right ear) as a metronome marker. You might notice when you do this, it sounds like the off beat once we reach beat 6. This is because on beat 6, the kick drum (and bass following it) becomes the off beat, syncopating the side chain effect until the top of the next measure. This occurs on every measure.
So the original rhythm is (mostly) intact, but when you count it this way, you get interesting syncopation, or off beats... it's all an illusion!
But anyways, I will take the sound design and eight note rhythms into consideration. I do believe the kick and bass pattern (and obviously the time signature) is the main culprit for it straying from the traditional synthwave feel.
Let me play with it, and most importantly complete the arrangement, and we will see how it sounds then. I appreciate the input.😁
EDIT: and the chords during the melody section follow the syncopation, because I have them bouncing onto the beats that the kick and bass are playing. Maybe I should try placing them on the on beats and see how it sounds... as it stands though it's an even 11 chords through beat 5, and another 11 through beat 11, so it is currently even in the measure, just syncopated because it's an odd measure... interesting dilemma, especially to Steele's point because synthwave isn't typically syncopated like this.