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Synthwave

AKA: Outrun Electro Retro Electro Neo 80s Retrowave • 9,122 releases

Rooted in 1980s synth music, characterized by large, throbbing "retro" synths and visual elements, often features upbeat percussion and/or epic, cinematic atmospheres.
Read more Synthwave is a form of Electronic music that takes major inspiration from 1980s synth music and pop culture, usually seeking to emulate or re-imagine these genres in a retro-futuristic, nostalgic manner. Synthwave is usually instrumental, with large, throbbing, dreamy synths, and an often cinematic and epic sound. The genre typically features upbeat, 80s-inspired percussion, though some synthwave has little drums, if any. Synthwave incorporates elements from a variety of genres that originated and/or was most popular during the 1980s, including, but not limited to, Synthpop, Progressive Electronic, Italo-Disco, Electro-Disco, and other derivative styles.

Synthwave albums are often arranged in a style that is similar to a Film Soundtrack, Film Score, Television Music, or Video Game Music album. The visual element of synthwave is important as well. Album covers are heavily influenced by 1980s films (especially Science Fiction and Action movies, such as Blade Runner or The Terminator), TV shows (specifically Miami Vice and Knight Rider), video games (notably OutRun and similar titles), and other elements important in 1980s culture.

The origins of synthwave can be traced back to the French Electro House and French Electro scenes in the mid-2000s. Artists such as Kavinsky combined house music with elements of 1980s electronic music, complete with 1980s inspired artwork. Soon after, several French producers, such as College, Anoraak, and Minitel Rose, began producing similarly styled music. The success of synthwave soundtracks Drive and Hotline Miami helped to popularize synthwave as a whole, attracting new listeners and artists to the genre.

Since the genre's beginnings, many record labels have been set up dedicated to this sound (the most important being the French label Valerie, American label Italians Do It Better, and the Canadian label Rosso Corsa Records), and a slew of producers have emerged from around the world, as the scene continues to flourish. A number of distinct styles would emerge throughout the 2010s, from the Chillwave-fused Chillsynth of artists like HOME, to the dark, gritty sound of Darksynth popularized by producers such as Carpenter Brut, and even "sovietwave", a substyle inspired by Soviet electronic music. Synthwave's role as a visual and musical medium for 1980s nostalgia would be explored further through distinct aesthetic styles that formed in the 2010s, occasionally coupled with unique musical features. These include niches such as sweatwave, focusing on imagery of 1980s sports TV programs, and spacewave, featuring retro-futuristic imagery inspired by 1980s space films. Synthwave has inspired the rise of, and occasionally crossed over with, Vaporwave, another major retro-futuristic and nostalgia-infused genre. Synthwave has additionally been a major influence on the production of some 2010s synthpop and Electropop artists like CHVRCHES.

Top-ranked albums

See full chart

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#1

Dangerous Days
Perturbator
#2

Odyssey
HOME
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#3

Endless Summer
The Midnight
#4

The Wrath of Code
Dan Terminus
#5

Apathy
Astrophysics
#6

Near Dark
Dance With the Dead
#7

Redline
Lazerhawk
#8

198XAD
Mega Drive
#9

Illuminations
FM Skyline
#10

Enchanted Instrumentals and Whispers
Windows96

Years active

Synthwave

Discography

9,122 Releases

1 2 ... 250 Next

Release Date

Avg Ratings Reviews

Discopolis
Lifelike & Kris Menace

2005 Single

46 Ratings 3 Reviews 3.20 Average

3.20 46 46 3 3
Teddy Boy
Kavinsky

2006 EP

278 Ratings 3 Reviews 3.02 Average

3.02 278 278 3 3
Charles Park
Makeup and Vanity Set

2006 Album

57 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.35 Average

3.35 57 57 1 1
Fairlight
Kris Menace

2006 Single

Ratings Average
1986
Kavinsky

2007 EP

413 Ratings 3 Reviews 3.15 Average

3.15 413 413 3 3
High On
Lifelike

2007 Single

1 Ratings 4.00 Average

4.00 1 1
So Electric
Lifelike

2007 Single

114 Ratings 1 Reviews 3.53 Average

3.53 114 114 1 1
After Dark

2007 Compilation

420 Ratings 13 Reviews 3.58 Average

3.58 420 420 13 13
Night Drive
Chromatics

2007 Album

2k Ratings 26 Reviews 3.43 Average

3.43 2k 2,401 26 26
Digital Versicolor
Glass Candy

2007 Single

72 Ratings 3.80 Average

3.80 72 72
In Shining Violence
Chromatics

2007 EP

106 Ratings 2 Reviews 3.56 Average

3.56 106 106 2 2
Teenage Color
College

2008 EP

189 Ratings 3 Reviews 3.24 Average

3.24 189 189 3 3
Dèja Vu
Azul y Negro

2008 Album

10 Ratings 3.46 Average

3.46 10 10
Vengeance Factory
Gesaffelstein

2008 EP

34 Ratings 2.95 Average

2.95 34 34
Tomorrow's World
Neil Scrivin

2008 Album

10 Ratings 3.21 Average

3.21 10 10

1 2 ... 250 Next

Lists

RYM Ultimate Box Set > Synthwave (Styles) 2024-04-24T11:51:23Z

TheScientist 11 lists 17 items
Synthwave 2024-04-24T06:25:16Z

JadePhoenix 71 items
Retro/synth-wave 2024-04-17T16:41:29Z

TeddyPicker 176 items
THE LIST - synthwave edition 2024-04-15T19:25:54Z

mulletguy16 50 items
Surfing The Synthwave 2024-04-11T15:14:44Z

jrs15 254 items
🕵️ Synthwave labels 2024-03-28T20:43:34Z

JessiEye 79 items
AORwave / Heartland Synth 2024-02-02T20:25:45Z

bedroomAOR 40 items
Top Timecop1983 releases 2023-09-07T17:34:20Z

mnemicmaniac 5 lists 12 items
Melodic Midtempo 2023-08-25T21:40:40Z

Nixinova 23 items
Top Tier Synthwave/Darksynth 2023-08-18T22:21:51Z

deltawing 25 items
Synthwave Finland 2023-08-12T05:47:19Z

Liero 68 items
Chillsynth 2023-06-11T08:45:43Z

MooN_2001 2 lists 8 items
Lush & Tropical Synth. 2023-05-24T03:40:42Z

ASpiritualMoon 150 items
Synthwaves 2023-05-18T16:42:51Z

CaptainBeyond 83 items
retro wave - my fav 2023-04-16T08:06:43Z

A_lex_fisher 62 items

Hierarchy

See all genres

Electronic
Uses non-traditional electronic instrumentation and sound manipulation technology as the primary backbone of a composition.
- Synthwave
- - Chillsynth
    Mixes Synthwave with major Chillwave elements, characterized by a dreamy and relaxed sound.
  - Darksynth
    Incorporates atmospheric Horror Synth and faster tempos into a much heavier and darker sound.

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Contributions

Contributors to this page: kiyosh _aleph

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