With a gravitational pull and nod to all things ‘80s, synthwave – also known as retrowave – is powered by sonic characteristics that combine retro nostalgia with futuristic sounds, creating a fusion that has cemented a core fanbase and yielded multiple subgenres. The style has permeated popular culture beyond music, infiltrating design, fashion and media, where the creative community at large has been captivated by the paradox created by the future and the nostalgia of the past. Films like ‘Tron’ and ‘Blade Runner’ have fascinated generations with their dystopian visions and driving synth sounds. Vangelis’s ‘Blade Runner’ soundtrack remains a blueprint for this aesthetic. TV shows with lighter subject matter, such as ‘Knight Rider’ and ‘Miami Vice,’ followed, perpetuating this neon vision of the time and the near future.
As the era of hyper-connectivity approached in the 2000s, so did a community of producers who channeled the retro vibes that defined a sector of 1980s culture. In 2002, the wildly popular ‘Grand Theft Auto: Vice City’ video game launched, set in a fictional Miami in 1986 and boasting a soundtrack that included the Human League and Thomas Dolby. The 8-bit explosion of 1980s video game culture is woven into the fabric of what would become known as retrowave.
In the mid-2000s, French electronic producers Kavinsky and David Grellier of College were among the early adopters inspired by those ‘80s film scores, solidifying synthwave as a genre in its own right and building a new foundation that spurred chillwave and other subgenres. As the aughts drew to a close, French house legends Daft Punk reimagined the sound of ‘Tron’ by putting their spin on the pulsating, synth-laden ‘Tron: Legacy’ score. The masterful, retro-futuristic soundtrack to ‘Drive,’ scored by Cliff Martinez, was another boon for the style.
There was likely no bigger mainstream moment for the movement than the introduction of ‘Stranger Things,’ which pulled from every beloved element of horror-tinged sci-fi and ‘80s nostalgia. As synthwave continues to evolve, artists like Houston’s Mega Drive have been driving this darkwave flavor. Liverpool-based Kalax has been a constant on the scene, dropping innovative synthwave tracks that bridge the past and present. From Melbourne’s Power Glove, the soundtrack duo behind the retro-futuristic video game ‘Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon,’ to France’s synth innovators M83, get lost in warm dystopian circuits with our new collection of modern synthwave tracks.
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Kalax✨, “Restored”
Brand new track from the Liverpool producer, whose early background included stints in metal bands
Power Glove, “Feel It (Music from the Netflix Original Series "High Score")”
Aptly named for the old Nintendo accessory,this duo scored the 2020 docuseries about classic games
LukHash, “Chiptune Ride"
Polish producer specializing in using PSG sound chips
Com Truise, “Intraplexdin”
Early track from the DJ whose ongoing saga features a “synthetic astronaut” seeking refuge from Earth
Timecop1983, “Escaping The Void"
Dutch producer whose music was featured in ‘Grand Theft Auto V’
MegaDrive, “Nakatomi Night Assault”
Darksynth producer based in Dallas took his name from the Sega Genesis
Futurecop!, “Dylan Brady, Ravenna Golden & Lewis Grant - Boom”
New from the British duo of Manzur Iqbal and Peter Carrol
Magic Sword, “OMNI”
Mysterious trio from Boise: the Keeper, the Seer and the Weaver
Fury Weekend, “Into The Utopia”
Retrowave rock project from Belarus producer Ars Nikonov
Lyde, “Disorder””
2023 track from darksynth producer, a cyberpunk specialist
MAGNAVOLT, “OBSERVER (feat. Scattle)"
From Sweden, this producer calls his own music “violent sexual midtempo”
Kavinsky, “Outsider (Donald Durand Remix)”
After a decade-long hiatus, the French producer credited as an early influence returned in 2022
GUNSHIP, “Empress of the Damned (feat. Lights)””
“A neon-soaked, late-night, sonic getaway drive” with featured vocalist Lights
New Arcades, “You Were My Ghost”
Latest from the London duo that loves some vintage synths
ORAX, “Touch Of Evil”
Named for a ‘Star Wars’ planet, the Italian producer was a touring guitarist before moving into production
CHVRCHES, “Over”
The Scottish trio merge synthwave with indie pop on this 2023 track
M83, “Laura”
“Cause when you hold us, it’s electric,” Anthony Gonzalez sings on this universal love song
Gesaffelstein, “Hard Dreams”
Goth-flavored first single in five years from the well-connected producer (The Weeknd, Daft Punk)
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