Synth Up
I'm like one of three guys on RYM that keeps up with synthwave and darksynth, and the only one active here. Too bad these microgenres appear to be a fad and are slowly fizzling out. I fell in love with the sound when I first played Hotline Miami back when it came out. There's definitely much more chill synthwave out there, but the vast majority of this list is going to be the darker and grittier stuff since I thought that's what the genre was for a while.
Anyway, list is some genre digs. One entry per artist, organized alphabetically except top 3 are top 3. |
| 1 |  | Carpenter Brut
Trilogy
A compilation of his three EPs filled with (mostly) kickass tunes. Nice and dark and funky, can get softer when needs to... track 3 is very skippable though. |
| 2 |  | Perturbator
The Uncanny Valley
The lord of synthwave, Perturbator really paved the way for this microgenre to come with his mastery of synth soundscapes. Dark cyberpunk goodness with great softer songs here and there. Pay What You Want on bandcamp. |
| 3 |  | King Stephen
Of Monsters and Other Horror Stories
The only Halloween album you'll ever need. Very fun kitschy atmosphere with no shortage of amazing moments. Despite being 90(!) minutes long with the shortest songs being 5 minutes, he manages to vary up things during the longer songs to keep it fresh. If only it was mixed a little bit better. |
| 4 |  | Abstract Void
Wishdream
On paper it's a really stupid gimmick: mix blackgaze and synthwave. In execution it's still a really stupid gimmick, but it works! Pay What You Want on bandcamp. |
| 5 |  | Acryl Madness
Kaidan
I'm a simple man. When the bass in a synth song gets overbearingly loud, I'm all in. Dude makes a lot of decent dark clubbing music but this one has a little extra pizzaz in the songwriting to stick out (and the art is killer). |
| 6 |  | ALEX
Blood Club
Dark club music. The name tracks. It's good. |
| 7 |  | Dan Terminus
Automated Refrains
It's always good to see one of the dudes from the early days still producing content. Dan Terminus brings a more progressive edge to the usual synthy sound. Pay What You Want on bandcamp. |
| 8 |  | Dance with the Dead
Driven to Madness
Can't go wrong with anything from these guys (except The Shape is kinda ho-hum). Fun poppish synthwave goodness. This album has a guitar in many tracks so it sticks out a bit more. |
| 9 |  | Dav Dralleon
Street Krvzader
Cyberpunk industrial metal that snorted ten lines of coke. What Mick Gordon wishes he could have done with Doom's soundtrack instead of peddling around atmospheric stuff most of the time. |
| 10 |  | Deadlife (UK)
The Order of Chaos
I feel a bit bad when there's one of these guys that makes on average like one release a year and one of the first ones is where he peaked. Very nice mix of softer and heavier stuff. Pay What You Want on bandcamp. |
| 11 |  | DreamReaper
Liminality
Really solid danceable fun darker synth stuff. C'mon man why haven't you dropped another album since this one it's been like five years. |
| 12 |  | Electric Dragon
Dark Water
Really clean atmospheric darksynth bangers. |
| 13 |  | Exemia
The Rise and Fall of a Demagogue
Not just solely synthwave on this album. A nice mix of electronic stuff. Pay What You Want on bandcamp. |
| 14 |  | Fixions
Requiem for the Serpents World
Cyberpunk arpeggiocore cranked to the max. Fixions always brings very consistent offerings, but this one is the most brutal. |
| 15 |  | GosT
Possessor
Nails that horror vibe with how demonic it sounds sometimes. Dark and crusty, a couple darkwave-inspired tracks to break up the assault. Pay What You Want on bandcamp. |
| 16 |  | Gregorio Franco
The Scourge
Kinda cyber-metal sounding. But that Halloweeny track with the operatic vocals in the middle is peak. Pay What You Want on bandcamp. |
| 17 |  | Hollywood Burns
Invaders
Adds a lot of cinematic flair for a nice, varied, fun and bouncy album. Broooo aliens. Sounds out of Zombies Ate My Neighbors at times. Pay What You Want on bandcamp. |
| 18 |  | Introspect
Redemption
This album is absolutely filthy in the best way. Album art perfectly encapsulates the depraved/based club this stuff would play in. |
| 19 |  | Isidor
3218
Nice spacey synth but with more of an edge. Pay What You Want on bandcamp. |
| 20 |  | LukHash
We Are Stardust
Very polished. A little bit of chiptune here and there. Is good. |
| 21 |  | Masked
Showdown
Real solid fun vibes. Like a really cool beat em up. |
| 22 |  | Mega Drive
198XAD
One of the old hats that's been keeping it going since the early days of the scene. Brings an industrial cyber edge to his stuff and is verrrrry consistent in quality. |
| 23 |  | Mitch Murder
Selection 6
Kind of weird that a compilation of unrelated tracks is some of his best stuff. Fun and chill. Pay What You Want on bandcamp. |
| 24 |  | ORAX
Love Kills the Demon
Really excellent blend of darker and softer sounds. |
| 25 |  | Roborg
CyberCrime
I initially skipped this album because the name sounded really dumb. But no, this one's a banger, I'm sorry Mr. Roborg. |
| 26 |  | Steel Force
Protocol X01
I mean if your cover art references Melissa I'm going to check you out. Highly derivative of Mega Drive up above but with the right extra touch of cybery synthwave that he lacks. |
| 27 |  | Volkor X
This Means War
Clean and polished, gets better as it goes on. |
| 28 |  | Vulta
Sigils
Album is fucking LOUD and it's full of bangers. My car speakers never recovered but it was worth it. Pay What You Want on bandcamp. |
| 29 |  | We Are Magonia
Triangle Unicode
Crunchy aggressive darksynth with lots of gothiccc segues. |
| 30 |  | Zombie Hyperdrive
Imperium
Chill spacey stuff with guitar. |
|
